House about another look at homeless
STATS OF THE DAY
HOMELESSNESS in Ireland is defined in a relatively narrow way, and is failing to respond to the true nature of homelessness, a report has stated.
The report found that homelessness focused on people sleeping rough and the number and duration of stays in emergency accommodation.
A group of international researchers reviewed the effects of the Rebuilding Ireland strategy on the level and nature of Irish homelessness.
They stated that Ireland’s definition of homelessness was “neglecting” hidden homelessness and not fully responding to the true nature of homelessness.
The experts said that the most effective, integrated strategies, including practice in Scotland and Finland, use a wide definition of homelessness.
They said this facilitates a more comprehensive array of prevention, rapid rehousing and housing-led, Housing First and supported housing services and cross referral of a broadly defined ‘at risk’ population across wider health, criminal justice and social protection systems.
The report, published by Focus Ireland and launched by the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, found that experience of homelessness remained more common than had been the case.
Hidden
It also found that women’s experience of homelessness tends to be significantly underestimated when there is no attempt to count the hidden homelessness.
It further found that affordable and social housing supply were thought to be at the core of homelessness causation and the limitations of existing policy in preventing and ending homelessness.
Services like Housing
First were hampered, as was any service within a housing-led framework, as soon as adequate, affordable housing with reasonable security of tenure was in short supply, the report stated.