Homeless plan sees extra beds, a night cafe and transport to hostels

A €25 million Government million plan to tackle homelessness pledges to provide additional emergency beds by the end of the year; set up a night cafe for homeless people; and provide free transport to available hostels.

The 20-point plan was announced by Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly after being approved by Cabinet on Tuesday morning.

A Cabinet sub-committee discussed the policy paper on Monday ahead of the weekly meeting of Ministers.

Other major points of the plan include a commitment to purchase a hotel under the control of the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA) and use it to provide accommodation and an assessment centre for homeless families.

It is expected the hotel, which has yet to be identified, will be available by April of next year.

Mr Kelly is also to issue a direction to the four Dublin housing authorities to allocate 50 per cent of all housing allocations to homeless households and other vulnerable groups for the next six months.

This will provide homes for approximately 500 people, according to the Minister.

The plan was published during a visit by Mr Kelly and Minister of State Paudie Coffey to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive’s ‘one-stop-shop’ advice office in Parkgate Street, Dublin.

It was also attended by Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke as well as representatives from the HSE, homeless services, local authorities, and non-government agencies working with homeless people.

Mr Coffey said solutions to the issue of homelessness would only be found by

pooling resources.

“Many deficits and gaps have been identified that we now need to address. There has been a real debate in Government.”

Mr Kelly said he had made a commitment that every homeless person in Dublin who needed a bed or emergency accommodation will be provided for before Christmas.

He said those who choose to stay on the streets will have access to the night cafe. That will be a contact point as well as providing food, a rest area, and access to showers, he said. It will facilitate up to 50 people and will operate throughout the night on a seven days basis.

The cafe will open next week and will become fully operational from January 2015.

Mr Kelly said the plan delivered on the commitments he made at the homeless forum last week.

“It also puts in place medium and longer term measures in response to issues highlighted by the special forum.

“For example, we must also cater for families with children whose urgent need is for emergency accommodation and for people who are currently in private rented homes but are in danger of becoming homeless.

“Our long term ambition is by the end of 2016 we will end the scourge of involuntary long term homelessness,” he said.

“It’s not about money, it never was. It’s about making sure that we end homelessness,” Mr Kelly added.

He said the 260 emergency beds were scattered all over Dublin and the authorities were working on plans for Cork, Limerick and Galway. He said he was confident that the number of emergency spaces available in January.

Other major actions include:

Stay in Your Home: A campaign to make tenants aware of their rights and provide assistance to families in danger of their homes.

A total of 1,046 vacant properties will be brought back into use to utilise as housing on an emergency basis.

Dublin City Council has also been asked to look at the 657 vacant properties currently due for demolition to see if any of them might be suitable for temporary accommodation

Banks will be asked to discuss the ‘buy to let’ sector with the Department to see if there is possibility of finding solutions for those in hardship.