Shared housing planned for young people vulnerable to homelessness

The Government is to run a pilot project offering house-share accommodation for young people in social housing as part of an overhaul of youth homelessness strategies.

Cabinet will on Wednesday consider a new national youth homelessness strategy from Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien which aims to help prevent young people becoming homeless and improve services, as well as help young people out of homelessness.

Among the elements of the plan is a pilot scheme using social housing as shared accommodation for young people. Typically, people apply for social housing as a single applicant unless they are part of a couple or family.

Under the pilot, there would be more flexibility allowing people to apply for social housing placements in shared accommodation — replicating “house share” style arrangements in the private sector. Sources said this might be preferred by some who have lived in shared homes before and could reduce loneliness and isolation.

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The strategy will be launched after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. It is aimed at people aged 18-24. Some 17 per cent of people entering into emergency accommodation were in this age cohort according to monthly homelessness reports. It is the first youth homelessness strategy in 20 years and will also seek to identify those particularly at risk, including people leaving care and the Traveller community.

Supplementary estimates

Cabinet is also set to consider a range of supplementary estimates — extra funding given to departments — including an extra €25 million in direct funding to Ukraine, sought by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney. There will be another €5 million in war-related funding given to Moldova, which borders Ukraine, under plans going to Cabinet. Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath is to seek approval for extra spending in several departments — including the Department of Defence, to fund €7 million more in spending on army pensions — as well as international co-operation and Foreign Affairs and Agriculture.

Mr O’Brien will also seek Cabinet support for the Wateford City North quays public infrastructure project.

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Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is to seek Cabinet approval for a €250,000 package to help businesses in Donegal affected by the Creeslaugh deaths. It will fund remedial works to the tune of €5,000 to fix fittings, floors and other damage. If works exceed €5,000, grants of up to €20,000 are available. It will be available to businesses that didn’t have any, or adequate, insurance cover.

Cabinet will also approve the establishment of a €500 million loan scheme for small and medium enterprises, developed by Mr Varadkar and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

Cabinet will also consider the third implementation report of the plan for insurance reform, setting out progress on 66 actions established in December 2020 to improve the insurance sector. Mr Varadkar is to ask a special subgroup on insurance reform to continue sitting during the year and to monitor developments in the sector.

The report states that 90 per cent of actions in the plan are completed or are ongoing, including reform of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and establishment of the Insurance Fraud Co-ordination Office. The Cabinet is also set to consider the annual report from the Department of Education and a spending report from the Department of Further and Higher Education.

Sources said that the plan would be judged on whether the reforms which were introduced over the lifetime of the Government actually resulted in reduced premiums and the increased availability of insurance.

The Cabinet will also consider publication of the mid-term review of the national peatlands strategy.