Left out in thecold: A review of rural homelessness in ireland 5 Housing Supply A range of housing options must be explored to meet the long-term housing needs amongst people who are homeless, including social housing, leasing initiatives, CAS, RAS, Capital Advanced Loan Facility and the Private Rented Market. The Social Housing Strategy currently in development must address immediate housing needs as a matter of urgency. One of the objectives of the Better Energy Programme36 as set out by Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, is to improve the energy affordability, health and comfort levels of vulnerable customers within society. Such grants and other home improvement grants need to be extended to people under-65, who are vulnerable. Very often people aren’t aware that such grants are available. A report by the National Council on Aging and Older People on Older People’s Experience of Housing Exclusion found that people weren’t aware that grants were available to make essential home improvements37. More information about the availability of these grants needs to be provided to people who live in such housing conditions. We recommend 18 • Work on the implementation of the new Social Housing Strategy needs to happen once published, which is expected to be in the third quarter of this year. • A proportion of all social housing allocation must be ring fenced for people moving out of homelessness in urban and rural areas. • Provision needs to be made nationally for higher rent payments under the Rent Supplement Scheme and HAP to support people moving out of homelessness to secure accommodation, similar to the Rent Supplement Initiative currently operating in Dublin. • Extension of the new Dublin Protocol for families at risk of homelessness on a nationwide basis. • The Capital Assistance Scheme must continue to be resourced, especially for special needs groups including people who are homeless. It is critical that a proportion of these allocations are for developments in rural areas. • Extension of home improvement grants to people under-65, which can help them remain in their own home. 38 www.pathwaysvermont.org/Housing-First.html 39 FEANTSA Policy Statement: Housing-Led Approaches to Homelessness in Rural Areas June 2013
Left out in the cold: A review of rural homelessness in Ireland
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