Recommendations to address Rural Homelessness 6 Flexible Support The success of housing led approaches is predicated on the provision of open ended support based on need. It is an even greater challenge to get this right in a rural context. It is also important that services recognise the fluctuations in support which may be required. It is important that access to support, both general and specialist, is improved upon. Cuts to frontline staff in statutory bodies are making it more difficult for people to access these services due to longer waiting times for appointments and longer waiting lists. We recommend • It is vital that sufficient supports are in place aimed at reducing drug and alcohol related harm and offering pathways to treatment nationwide and that further cuts to services are avoided. • Support services (such as mental health and drug and alcohol services) in rural areas are more flexible to ensure those who need their service can access them e.g. opening hours to allow for those that need to rely on public transport to attend their appointments. • Plans for the provision of support services must take account of the intensity of 19 support required to meet the diverse needs of service users and the timescale that support may be needed for. 7 Innovative responses Using information and communications technology can help support people who are homeless in rural areas by providing services, both homeless services and support services, in a person’s own home. Pathways Housing First Vermont38 is an example of how housing-led approaches can be adapted and implemented in rural areas. The programme has made innovative technology-based adaptations to the original Pathways programme, through the use of refurbished computers and mobile phones by both service providers and services users. This has enabled them to overcome the geographical spread of service users, lack of public transport and lack of access to health and social services.39 This requires adequate resources; a reliable and efficient broadband and mobile phone network in all parts of the country. We recommend • The exploration of innovative responses which have been proven to be effective in addressing rural homelessness in other jurisdictions.
Left out in the cold: A review of rural homelessness in Ireland
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