Any progress in dealing with the distressing issue of homelessness is to be welcomed and, in that regard, a report by the Homeless Agency offers some reassurance.
Homeless numbers in Dublin have stabilised during the past three years, as the number of emergency beds available rose by 1,000, and the focus of the State agency is now shifting towards the provision of long-term accommodation for those in need, along with schemes designed to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place.
The fact that an emergency no longer exists in providing hostel and bed-and-breakfast accommodation for homeless persons should not, however, blind us to the fact that such facilities are unsuited to families and to other vulnerable people. They are excluded from accommodation during the day and are forced to walk the streets in inclement weather. More than three-quarters of the State's homeless are in Dublin and 80 per cent of those live in the inner city. The majority are male and single. A high percentage of them have mental health problems or suffer from alcohol or drug dependency. An estimated 100 people still sleep rough.
It is obvious from those statistics that homelessness is a complex social issue that requires a range of responses. The Government increased the level of funding under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006, but was failing to meet its target of halving the number of homeless. Instead of adopting a comprehensive approach to the issue, something of a turf war broke out between the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of the Environment and Local Government. Social Welfare sought to minimise its financial exposure to the growing cost of long-term rent supplements, while Environment appeared to be reluctant to shoulder the added burden of housing the homeless.
Because of the huge cost of building land and new homes, young people have been forced out of the housing market. At the same time, local authorities failed to meet their social housing targets. The gravity of the situation can be judged from the fact that about 50,000 households are awaiting accommodation on local authority lists. A year ago, in order to address the particular needs of the homeless, details were announced of an apartment-building scheme. This public-private partnership arrangement was designed to provide accommodation for the homeless while saving on the high cost of B&B accommodation and rent allowances. Progress was slow. Now, the Homeless Agency has set itself the task of providing long-term accommodation for all those in special need within six years. We wish them well.