Padraig O'Morain gave a scathing review of the programme to combat homelessness launched last week by Dublin Corporation and the Eastern Health Board, giving the impression of a programme that is not worth the paper it was written on. In doing so, he does an injustice to the voluntary and statutory agencies involved in the development of the programme and a disservice to the general public who are entitled to know what the authorities are doing about the growing problem of homelessness.
In his article, he manages to put a negative spin on proposals for the development of services outside Dublin city centre, which would allow people to stay in their own community rather than travel to city centre services. He mocks as jargon words such as outreach, settlement and co-ordination, words which describe well-established and successful work practices in many areas of social services.
He implies the programme will create jobs with fancy titles, for the boys (although not homeless ones) which will do little to alleviate the crisis. Rather than invest in the elements of the programme Mr O'Morain thinks the money should be given to Dublin Corporation for the provision of more hostel beds.
While the provision of more hostels might appear to be the logical solution to homelessness, it isn't that simple. Without a focus on settlement, hostels become blocked with people who use them inappropriately, as permanent accommodation, many of them becoming institutionalised in the process. As a survey earlier this year showed, there are a significant number of people who have been "homeless" for the last 10, 20 or even 30 years. The term homelessness, which implies a simple case of being without a home, is a misleading description of the issue and problems to be tackled. Homelessness has for generations been the safety net catching those people families, communities, and other services have been unable or unwilling to care for. Thus there are disproportionate numbers of people among the homeless population with mental ill health, problems with alcohol and drug use. Recent attempts in local communities to deal with "anti social" behaviour related to drug use has simply moved this problem onto the streets and into hostels.
The new programme is attempting to address these and other issues. It was developed by the corporation and the health board in conjunction with voluntary organisations and other local authorities in the area. It aims to respond to the immediate need to provide additional hostel places during the winter and to develop responses which in the long term will deal more effectively with the needs of people who are homeless and which will also focus on preventing their becoming homeless in the first place. This will require planning, co-ordination, monitoring, the development of standards, systems, strategies and polices, however much like jargon these sound.
PROGRESS has already been made in some areas. For the first time, there is agreement on the definition and extent of homelessness in the Dublin area. There is a sound body of research on the needs of homeless people and the range of services required to meet these needs. Work is progressing on developing services for active drug users and street drinkers. Statutory and voluntary organisations are working together to plan services and to improve the quality of those services.
Cynicism about this programme is understandable: Local authorities, health boards and central government have a poor record on homelessness; partnership working in this area is new and untested; and as Padraig O'Morain rightly points out there is not enough long term and appropriate housing for homeless people. More must be done to provide the homes, and support where it is required, to enable people to live an independent life.
Homelessness is a major problem which cannot be solved over night. However, the programme in which he finds so little comfort is just one of many important initiatives which have taken place over the last couple of years. A Government cross Departmental Team is completing a national strategy for tackling homelessness and will report early in the new year.
This represents a genuine commitment, from Government and while we still have a long way to go we are moving in the right direction, and we are for the first time nearly all moving in the same direction. It is right that these and other initiatives be the subject of rigorous assessment by the media but for such assessments to have credibility, they must be factual and fair.
Mary Higgins is administrative director of the Homeless Initiative
