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Homeless Strategies

The first Government strategy on homelessness was compiled in 2000, Homelessness- An Integrated Strategy. This strategy was reinforced by the Youth Homeless Strategy in 2001 and the Homeless Preventative Strategy in 2002.

A review of the Government’s homeless strategy in 2005 recommended that a revised national strategy must take a holistic approach, continuing to include both preventative and integrated approaches to service development and delivery across Ireland.

The development of the new strategy was guided by a National Homeless Consultative Committee convened by the Government and in August 2008, The Way Home, a strategy to address adult homelessness in Ireland 2008-2013  was published.  The strategy contains six strategic aims which are:

1. Prevent homelessness
2. Eliminate the need for people to sleep rough
3. Eliminate long term homelessness
4. Meet long term housing needs
5. Ensure effective services for homeless people
5. Better co-ordinate funding arrangements

Each strategic aim has a number of actions at both national and local level.  The Department of the
Environment, Heritage and Local Government with appropriate input from the Cross Departmental Team on Homelessness and the National Homeless Consulative Committee will lead the development and implementation of the national actions listed for each of the strategic aims.

The findings of the Homeless Agency’s service evaluations and value for money studies will form an important element in the implementation of the new strategy particularly with regard to maximising efficiency and value for money and ensuring streamlined and integrated services and an assessment of what services are required.

In 2009, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government launched the Homeless Strategy Implementation Plan.  The plan will be carried out primarily through the local homeless action plan process.  These will be put on a statutory basis through the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.