 Low educational attainment  Lone parents  Unemployment  Family Breakdown  Loss of partner/spouse/parent/s  Addictions  Disability – physical and mental

 Access to education compromised  Access to employment comprimised  Social Housing – pool of disadvantage -concentrations may cause difficulties  Poor health – mortality rate higher for cancer, heart disease, mental illness  Less participation through marginalisation – voting; volunteering; church attendance (indication of diminished social capital)

 Poverty and lack of housing options  Mental ill health  Addiction  Weak family supports  Experience of institutional care,  Eviction  Relationship breakdown  But protective factors must be mentioned i.e. significant positive relationship; engagement in work or training, even where the underlying causes and risk factors are present

 Homeless community not homogenous but common characteristics exist  High levels of mental ill health,  Psychological, behavioural and personality disorders  Intellectual and learning difficulties and addiction problems.  Across the developed world, the majority of homeless people are single men.  Homelessness is not a random process and as such allows for the development of targeted interventions to address homelessness and to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

 The Celtic Tiger  Reduced poverty but unemployment now up to 13.7% (almost 20% in 1980s)  Relative poverty (on or below 60% of national income EU definition)  Consistent poverty (with added indicators of disadvantage – e.g. lone parent; unemployed; disabled) – 11% (inc. working poor)

 Homeless Forum established 1991  Plans founded on detailed consultation process with stakeholders – local government; health services; police; voluntary agencies

 Elimination of need to sleep rough  Accommodation standards raised  Provision of transitional housing  Multi-disiplinary Teams established  Gateway Project (wet shelter)  Cork Foyer  Strong working partnerships between the key local stakeholders  The development of discharge protocols for those at risk of homelessness leaving psychiatric or acute hospitals.  Critical local interventions stimulated via local homeless action plans.

 Preventing Homelessness  Eliminate Need to Sleep Rough  Eliminate Long Term Homelessness  Meet Long Term Housing Needs  Ensure Effective Services for Homeless People  Better Coordinated Funding arrangements

 The development of longer term accommodation options through the provision of additional social housing, greater use of the private sector and the development of long term supported accommodation with on site specialist care.  The improvement of the coordination of funding between the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Health so that capital and revenue funding works in tandem, with the development of more formal funding mechanisms, more transparent selection of projects and improved monitoring across the country.

 The development of a case management approach to addressing the needs of homeless people, based on key workers linking to core services and specialist health services which can be accessed, depending on individual needs.  The development of preventative strategies focused on at risk groups in addition to individuals leaving prison, acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals.

 By 2010 no one should be in emergency accommodation longer than six months.  Achieved by the adequate supply of long term housing in each local area to address current and projected needs  Adequate community support services for households vulnerable to homelessness  Accessible mental health and addiction services  Effective interventions by homeless services.

 Adequate supply of housing, esp. for single persons  Greater utilisation of existing housing stock and the provision of additional units by local authorities  Greater use of the private and voluntary and co-operative housing sectors.  Settlement services and tenancy sustainment for formerly homeless people necessary in some cases.

 Services well organised, co-ordinated and integrated  focused on moving them out of homelessness as quickly as possible, into long term sustainable housing.  a national quality standards framework for homeless services, including arrangements for monitoring compliance.

Services include:  street outreach  temporary accommodation  Settlement  post settlement  tenancy sustainment and advice  information and day centres  specialised homeless services.

 Vital component of services for homeless people.  roll-out of primary care teams and primary and social care networks.  Homeless people will access primary care through these new teams and networks  not intended that a separate and parallel health system will exist for homeless people.

 Adult Offenders  Young Offenders  Mental Health Residential Facilities  Acute Hospitals  Young Persons Leaving Care  Education and Homeless Persons  Monitoring

 Intervention by wider social welfare agencies including the establishment of indicators that act as an early warning system and ensure that supports are offered while the potentially homeless individual remains in the family home.  New immigrants  Victims of Domestic Violence

 Practices long established with wide public support  Paradigm shift required in approach  Significant change to structures on the part of service providers both financial and human resource  Change from reactive to proactive attitude on the part of commissioning agents (i.e. state bodies who fund the service)  Inclusion and consultation

Thank You