16 Simon Communities of Ireland Indeed, one of the gaps identified by a couple of In the absence of a significant flow of Simon communities was finding the resources to accommodation from external sources, there was fund staff time to source and acquire properties. also discussion about various mechanisms that This was viewed as needing a full time post not have been used to generate a flow of housing only to identify properties, but, for example, to stock run by Simon Communities themselves. build up relationships with private landlords and There were a number of examples within various estate agents. One example of where this Simon Communities of successful approaches to resource is present in Dublin where the Simon acquiring housing – with a key advantage that Community have a specific staff resource for the there are no external requirements for thresholds acquisition and refurbishment of property. A that exclude people with high support needs. further example of this type of approach can be Nevertheless, there is a discussion to be had seen in Cork, with the creation of an independent about the future direction of Simon Communities housing provider. as providers of homeless services on one hand, and the skill sets and capacities necessary to act Part of the discussion by respondents focused on as housing providers on the other. accessing key sources of funding such as the Housing Finance Agency. Certainly other organisations have put forward the suggestion that the regulatory framework utilised by the Housing Finance Agency itself should be reviewed with a view to accessing accommodation for people who are homeless (Focus Ireland, 2012). One respondent felt that partnering arrangements with other Approved Housing Bodies should be explored. Simon Communities would continue to deliver services for people who are homeless in properties leased or owned by another housing provider. Conclusion The scarce supply of affordable accommodation of an adequate standard was universally viewed as a critical block in taking forwards housing-led approaches on a meaningful scale. Given the current relative scarcity of lets for people who are homeless in the social housing sector, the immediate focus for agencies in the short to medium term was on prospects for utilising private renting. The balance of the discussion by respondents was on issues in relation to accessing this tenure. Policy issues relate to overcoming financial obstacles to enable people who are homeless to take on tenancies. These include exceeding rent caps (for which there is already a precedent); instruments to overcome the cost of, or need for, deposits, such as bonds, and also stronger measures to enforce compliance and standards amongst unscrupulous landlords.
Which Way Home?
To see the actual publication please follow the link above