Press release
Monthly Homeless Report for September 2021 and Homeless Quarterly Progress Report for Quarter 3 2021
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has today (29 October, 2021) published the Monthly Homeless Report for September 2021 and the Homeless Quarterly Progress Report for the third quarter of 2021.
The Quarterly Progress Report is prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, based on quarterly performance reports submitted by the nine regional lead authorities responsible for the administration of homeless services at local level.
Monthly Homeless Report for September 2021
The total number of homeless individuals is 8,475, an increase of 263 (3.2%) on the total for August 2021. There is a year-on-year decrease of 181 individuals (2.1%) on the 8,656 total recorded in September 2020. Since its highest level in October 2019 the numbers of individuals in emergency accommodation has decreased by 2,039 (19%), from 10,514 to 8,475.
There were 1,005 families in emergency accommodation in September, an increase of 52 on the 953 recorded in the previous month. September 2021 showed a decrease of 123 families (10.9%) on the 1,128 total recorded in September 2020. From its highest level, the number of homeless families is down 773 (43%), having been reduced from 1,778 in July 2018.
A total of 2,344 children under 18 associated with these families were in emergency accommodation in September 2021. This is an increase of 155 (7.1%) on the 2,189 recorded in August. As this is the third month that children have been clearly enumerated in the monthly homeless statistics comparisons with previously published data must be qualified. Bearing this caveat in mind, the year on year position is that September 2021 saw a decrease of 239 (9.3%) dependants on the 2,583 recorded in September 2020. The largest number of dependants recorded to date was 3,873 in September 2019 and there has been a reduction of 1,529 (39%) since then.
Homeless Quarterly Progress Report for the third quarter of 2021
The Quarterly Progress report shows that during Quarter 3, a total of 1,308 adults and their dependants exited homelessness into tenancies or were prevented from entering emergency accommodation. A total of 4,043 exits from homelessness have been achieved in the year to date. This represents an 8% decrease on the 4,401 exits achieved over the corresponding period in 2020. In the Dublin region, family presentations seeking homeless services were down 3% on the corresponding quarterly period in 2020 (from 407 to 395). Of these families presenting to homeless services in the Dublin Region in Quarter 3, 47% were prevented from entering emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy having been created. In the year to date, 53% of families presenting to homeless services were prevented from entering emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy having been created.
A total of 56 new Housing First tenancies commenced in Quarter 3 2021. Housing First provides a person with high support needs who is sleeping rough, or who has been a long-term user of homeless accommodation, with their own permanent home, as well as access to intensive and specialised support services. There are currently 623 high support need individuals, who were formerly rough sleepers or long-term users of emergency accommodation, housed and supported in their own homes under the Housing First Programme. It is now operational in every county in Ireland. Even if a tenancy fails, Housing First continues to support the individual to another tenancy. Housing First provides the most vulnerable of our homeless population with a home for life.
In September 2018, a National Implementation Plan for Housing First was jointly launched setting out a national target of 663 additional tenancies to be achieved nationwide by the end of 2021. The Quarterly Progress Report for Q3 2021 confirms that a total of 695 Housing First tenancies have been achieved under the Plan to date, with three months remaining on the current Plan. Housing for All commits to a further 1,200 such tenancies to be created and supported between 2022 and 2026. A new National Implementation Plan will be published by the end of 2021, setting out the specifics of these tenancy targets.
Commenting on the details contained in the reports published today, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien T.D. said:
“The increase in homelessness figures seen in recent months is a serious concern for the Government. While we have made significant improvements on the situation we were facing two years ago when homelessness was at its highest, there is still a huge amount of work to be done. In September the Government published Housing for All and committed to building on this progress by eradicating homelessness by 2030.
There are challenges in the short term, with housing supply being constrained over the past two years. Housing for All includes 18 distinct actions tailored to eliminate homelessness. €4 billion in capital funding is being invested annually on social and affordable housing. This is the biggest such programme in the history of the State. There will be an increase in supply across all tenure types, with over 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable homes and 18,000 cost rental homes to be delivered by 2030.
Recognising some weeks ago that there were increased numbers of households presenting to homeless services, I convened meetings with senior officials from the local authorities where homelessness is most prevalent. The meetings took place on the 7th October last and were attended by officials from Dublin City Council, South Dublin, Fingal, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Meath, Kildare, Cork City, Limerick City and County, Galway City and Waterford City and County Councils. I convened these meetings to discuss solutions, and to prioritise measures around homelessness preventions and exits. Additional local authority void units are to be brought on stream, with a focus on providing homes to those experiencing homelessness. Each local authority has been notified of a target number of units to return to productive use this year and have been further advised that my Department will support additional vacant units remediation as we head towards year end. The clear objective of the programme is to ensure vacant units are remediated and re-let as expeditiously as possible which will increase the options available to local authorities to support prospective tenants.
I also want to see social housing delivery for the remainder of 2021 being prioritised to address time lost during the construction sector shutdowns. I have asked local authorities to further prioritise tenancy support services, prevention and the use of the placefinder service for HAP tenancies.
I convened a meeting of the Task Force on Homelessness in recent weeks. This group’s members comprise the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, the Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin Simon Community, Focus Ireland, Threshold, DePaul, Crosscare and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as well as senior officials from my Department. The significant focus was on the common effort needed to prevent homelessness wherever possible, and to exit those in emergency accommodation into homes.
Housing First is one of our key responses in ending long term homelessness among those with complex health and mental health needs. A significant milestone was reached in September. The number of tenancies created under the current National Implementation Plan which is due to conclude at the end of 2021 now stands at 695, which is ahead of the 663 tenancies that were targeted. The last of the local authority areas to commence the programme reported their first two tenancies. This means that full national rollout has been achieved, with Housing First now operational in every local authority area in the country. Housing First has proven to be a true exemplar of the interagency approach to tackling a complex all of government problem, and I commend our partners in local authorities, the HSE and the NGO sector on their work on the Programme to date. We look forward to collaborating further on the 1,200 additional Housing First tenancies committed to under Housing for All.
The challenges we face in addressing homelessness are complex and require meaningful cross-departmental and interagency engagement. To this end. I intend to establish a National Homeless Action Committee that will bring together all key State Departments, agencies and authorities. The role of the Committee will be to drive delivery of interagency actions in Housing for All and to work together in a collaborative manner in bringing forward solutions to address homelessness.
While there will be challenges ahead, I am committed to working with all of the partners and stakeholders to end homelessness.”
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