A scheme begun last year to attract landlords to house homeless people has been hailed as a huge success today.
The homeless charity Threshold set up the Access Housing Unit (AHU) to get single people into homes under private tenancy agreements.
The AHU works by gathering information on potential tenants from other homeless groups - such as Merchant's Quay, Focus Ireland and Simon Community - and matching them with suitable landlords.
The AHU helped 127 people find a home last year, including 57 single people and 40 children. Only five tenancies were unsuccessful in 2004.
Threshold director Mr Patrick Burke described it as a "win-win" situation for all involved.
"Homeless people get homes, landlords make a living and the Government saves money as it is far cheaper to pay for someone's private rented accommodation than it is to keep them in homeless services," he said. "This service should be replicated in every local authority area in the country."
AHU manager Mr Russell Chapman said the scheme was designed to facilitate homeless people who were capable of caring for themselves but found it difficult to find accommodation in the first place.
Mr Chapman said: "The reality is that landlords come back to us time and time again. They know we have people waiting and there are no advertising costs involved.
"Some landlords have housed six or seven homeless people that have come through the Access Housing Unit and are very happy to continue to work with us."