4 Limits to housing-led services in Ireland Introduction This section of the report looks at the limitations in using housing-led services to respond to homelessness in Ireland. As with Chapter 3, this section of the report draws on the consultations with people who were homeless, staff working in the Simon Communities and other homelessness service providers. The chapter looks at issues around housing supply and access to housing, isolation and activity, joint working and changes to the welfare system. The chapter then reviews some concerns that were raised about housing-led being ‘diluted’ when it is implemented in Ireland and concludes by reviewing opinions on the mix of services that should be used in tackling homelessness in Ireland. housing Provision of new social housing is at a virtual“rofs.ltasirlegnneitgianiwggninsoluoerhaelerbealihtavdanfao,llietgsa-tdrnoahtSselbadroffadnaetauqedaotsseccA The most often repeated concern, among both service ‘general needs’ applicants seeking any available providers and people who were homeless, was that there was housing. not a sufficient supply of adequate and affordable housing in Service Provider. Ireland for housing-led services to work well. Two broad issues affordable housing for people who were homeless. “ veryplverye rbicrudy daros...the housing list on amisfberaltxearae,oePdnaetauqedafoylppusehtgnitcirtsnocsadeifitnediere w The first issue was difficulty in accessing social housing in Service Provider. Ireland, a problem that was seen as having two dimensions, a by people with a history of homelessness, who were seen as “ aveitcteofti,pstideyearslatoaftieditheIucan’ttgtet mykle,ceapojaahsi’iwsgenislao?drsnawstnafhtyfnoamowathlntisohltdud’Ibdecafsessecorpnoitacollanisreirrabdnaylppuswenfokca‘risky’ tenants. Service providers also commented that the l allocation processes of some social landlords could be very slow and opaque. Recent research across the EU, including from the council or anyone else, because of who Ireland, has shown social landlords are often reluctant to I was…there’s no ‘he’s been clean two years give house formerly homeless people because they have limited him a chance’, it’s just ‘he’s an addict, don’t give housing supply in relation to demand and also because people him a chance’. who are homeless are perceived as likely to present with Male with long term experience of living rough, 50s. housing management problems, such as not paying the rent or anti-social behaviour80. 80 Pleace, N.; Teller, N. and Quilgars, D. (2011) Social Housing Allocation and Homelessness EOH Comparative Studies on Homelessness, Brussels: Feantsa 21
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