Homelessness is a serious social issue, and the media have an important role to play in highlighting such issues. They also have a role in informing public opinion and shaping policy responses to social issues. To focus purely on the problem without objective analysis, or reference to what measures are being taken to address it, is to misrepresent the reality of the issue.
There is no dispute about the problem of homelessness in Dublin. There is agreement about its scale and its nature and about what needs to be done to address it. This is not the impression given by recent articles.
It is true that Dublin has higher rates of rough sleeping than comparable British cities, but it is important to review the reasons.
For the past 10 years there has been a Rough Sleepers Initiative in England, Scotland and Wales. This began under the last Conservative government and was aimed at reducing the levels of rough sleeping, initially in the capital. Because of its success it was extended to other parts of Britain. In London, rough sleeping was reduced from 2,000 in the early 1990s to 300 this year.
The British approach was to provide assertive outreach teams who made contact with people on the streets, assisting them to move off the streets.
This was matched by increased emergency accommodation and housing, provided mainly by voluntary housing associations. One of the keys to the success of the strategy has been a "joined-up" response through the development of partnership of voluntary and statutory agencies at central and local level.
Notwithstanding the success of the initiative, it has found that there are some people on the street for whom it has been unable to provide alternatives. The British government strategy now is to target these people.
In Dublin we have taken a similar approach to tackling rough sleeping. Four years ago the Government, through Dublin Corporation and the Eastern Health Board, set up and resourced the Homeless Initiative.
This had a brief to examine the services and accommodation available to homeless persons, to identify gaps in both and to forge stronger links between the voluntary and statutory sectors to ensure a more integrated service.
Gaps in information on the extent and nature of homelessness have been filled through research and now provide a firm base for the planning of appropriate and effective responses to the needs of the homeless.
But it hasn't just focused on relationship-building and research. A number of new services, particularly street outreach, advice and information and settlement, have been developed.
Dublin Corporation, through funding from the Department of the Environment and Local Government, has been proactive in providing emergency, long-term sheltered and permanent accommodation. In the past two years we have provided approximately 150 additional emergency hostel beds which are being managed by the voluntary sector, the private sector and ourselves.
The growing difficulty in accommodating families in emergency B & B is being addressed, and now only 6 per cent of this accommodation is B & B in the traditional sense, i.e. where residents are required to leave during the day. This 6 per cent will be discontinued by the end of January.
This year 114 homeless single persons have been accommodated in permanent local authority accommodation. Settlement workers have been employed by Dublin Corporation to deal specifically with homeless persons. This alone has led to getting 25 rough sleepers off the streets.
We accept that we must do more, and this is illustrated by the number of projects in the pipeline that will provide accommodation which will include emergency specialist hostels, transition housing, long-term supported accommodation and regular flat accommodation.
It must be remembered, however, that Dublin Corporation is obliged to provide accommodation for all homeless people, both single and families, so we must ensure that available accommodation is allocated in a manner that optimises its use.
Homelessness is a complex problem and requires a comprehensive and integrated response. The Government has acknowledged the complexity of the problem and has published its own strategy. Under this, each local authority is responsible for the development, in conjunction with voluntary agencies and health boards, of a three-year plan to tackle homelessness. In Dublin this plan will be completed in the coming weeks. The long-term aim is the elimination of street homelessness. It contains detailed actions on homelessness, including its prevention.
Along with Dublin Corporation the three other Dublin local authorities of Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, and the voluntary agencies, are partners in planning the regional response and are now providing additional accommodation and services, with more to come in the future.
The plan has been compiled by a working group drawn from the voluntary and statutory agencies providing services to homeless people and creates the framework for moving forward in an integrated manner. It sets out clear proposals to deal with all issues of homelessness.
The climate of buoyant public revenues provides a unique opportunity to tackle homelessness and the underlying problems that give rise to it. There can be no question about the commitment of the Government to tackling homelessness. Mr Bobby Molloy, the Minister with responsibility for housing, has repeatedly stated that resources will not be an issue in taking effective action.
This sentiment was echoed recently by the Taoiseach at a conference organised by the Simon Community. Requests for funding of solid sensible projects are granted without quibble.
The challenge in tackling homelessness is no longer about persuading the powers that be about what needs to be done. The challenge now, as the plan rolls out over the next few years, is for society to recognise that tackling homelessness means the acceptance of people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, as full members of mainstream society, living throughout communities, rather than fenced off, out of sight and out of mind.
Philip Maguire is also chairman of the Homeless Services Agency