Plan to end long-term homelessness ‘in jeopardy’

The Government's plan to end long term homelessness by 2016 is in jeopardy amid a dramatic rise in numbers sleeping rough in Dublin city, the Simon Community has warned.

The organisation will launch its annual review 2012 later today. It says services are being stretched more than ever at a time when demand is at crisis levels.

“The homeless sector has already absorbed massive reductions and we are expecting further cuts… making it extremely challenging to tackle the alarming rise in demand for housing and support services to the most vulnerable in our society,” Sam McGuinness of the Simon Community in Dublin said.

The Simon Community has recorded “significant growth” this year in the numbers bedded down in inner city Dublin. There has been a 66 per cent increase in the first half of this year (January - June) compared to the same period in 2012 while the July-September figure is 88 per cent up on the same period for 2012.

“The September count of 85 people sleeping rough in one night is very frightening and the highest since we started our own regular inner city street counts some years ago,” Mr McGuinness said.

The organisation sees this as the absolute minimum figure because the counts do not include the “hidden homeless” who are couch surfing, staying in squats, hospitals, internet cafes or temporary B&Bs.

Mr McGuinness said increased demand has heaped pressure on the organisation. “With limited emergency accommodation, housing shortage, rent increases and rent allowance restrictions, the pressure for beds is frantic. People are now compelled to stay longer in poor emergency facilities or resort to sleeping in doorways and squats.”