NORTHERN AREA HEALTH BOARD HOMELESS PERSONS UNIT. Report on Emergency accommodation Placement Service

Transcription

1 NORTHERN AREA HEALTH BOARD Report No 26/2002 HOMELESS PERSONS UNIT Report on Emergency accommodation Placement Service

2 CONTENTS 1. STATUS AND FUNDING OF PLACEMENT SERVICE 2. APPLICANTS REASONS FOR PRESENTING TO HOMELESS PERSONS UNIT. 3. CRITERIA FOR PLACEMENT IN EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION. 4. SUPPLY OF EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION. 5. DEMAND AND NUMBERS PRESENTING. Appendix A. BED & BREAKFASTS SOURCED BY DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL B. BED AND BREAKFASTS PAID AND CHECKED BY HOMELESS PERSONS UNIT

3 STATUS AND FUNDING OF PLACEMENT SERVICE The Homeless Persons Unit operates a placement service to emergency accommodation on an agency basis for the four Local Authorities in the greater Dublin area. The unit also operates an income maintenance service to homeless people under the Supplementary Welfare Scheme. The quality of the service was greatly enhanced during the course of 2001when a major reorganisation saw the closure of the central unit in Charles St. and the opening of two central units in James St. and Wellington St. Structures were also introduced to provide a community welfare service on site to families and individuals in emergency accommodation. The service was further enhanced during the year with the establishment of a freephone service. The cost of placement is funded in full by the local authorities under section 10 of the 1988 Housing Act which obliges Local Authorities to provide for the homeless population in their respective areas. Dublin City Council contributes 67% of this funding and the other three local authorities contribute 11% each. The unit operates under the aegis of the Northern Area Health Board but provides a service to homeless people on behalf of the three Area Health Boards in the E.R.H.A. region. The Health Boards and the Local Authorities fund the administration and staff salaries of the unit on a 50/50 basis. The health boards share of these costs is recouped from the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs. The function of the unit is to assess and place people in emergency accommodation. It is the responsibility of the four local authorities to source that accommodation. Currently, Dublin City Council is the only local authority which directly sources accommodation and as a consequence, the unit relies on the City Council in the main to supply emergency accommodation. Unfortunately, this restricts flexibility in placement, leading to a ghettoising of the problem. Our Board are currently in discussion with the Local Authorities on the transfer of this accommodation placement function to the relevant Local Authorities. Agreement has been reached with our staff, and agreement in principle has been reached with Dublin City Council that this transfer will take place. Demand in relation to numbers presenting far outstrips the supply of accommodation being supplied by Dublin City Council. The unit therefore must resort to sourcing bed and breakfast accommodation directly, the cost of which is refunded by the Local Authorities. These two sources of accommodation are still not sufficient to satisfy demand and the unit resorts to a third option as a last resort i.e. the issue of payments to clients under the Supplementary Welfare Scheme to find their own accommodation.

4 investigating these cases with local Garda, local authority staff etc. staff in the unit are being advised that it is unsafe or not feasible for these people to return home. Those presenting from the U.K. are mostly returning emigrants attracted by the good economic circumstances prevailing in the country and the favourable employment situation in the capital. Those presenting from rural Ireland do so for a variety of reasons such as the desire to seek more favourable employment prospects in Dublin or the desire to distance themselves from a difficult family situation. Another factor which could contribute to people from other parts of the country presenting is the fact that only Cork and Dublin cities have a dedicated service providing direct placement to emergency accommodation for homeless people. A difficulty in accessing emergency accommodation elsewhere could well be a factor.

5 CRITERIA FOR PLACEMENT IN EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION. On presenting to the unit each case is thoroughly assessed to establish the integrity of their homeless status. Minors presenting are only placed under the direction of social workers. In relation to young people presenting who are over eighteen contact is always made with the family home. All cases presenting are investigated to ensure that there is no permanent accommodation available to the client which he/she can reasonably occupy. Hostel accommodation is the primary form of accommodation offered by the unit. Bed and breakfast is resorted to for cases where there is no suitable hostel accommodation or where all hostel accommodation options have been exhausted. For example there is no hostel available which can take a family unit. In practice, priority is given to those cases who are most vulnerable and for whom there is inadequate hostel provision. Therefore, the vast majority of cases placed in bed and breakfast are women and families with children. Availability of Emergency Accommodation (a) Hostels (Dublin City Council or Voluntary Organisations) Men 514 Women & Families 178 (b) Private Bed & Breakfasts (Sources by Dublin City Council) 1,789 (c) Other Bed & Breakfasts (Sources by Homeless Persons Unit) 440 approx Total. 2,921

6 SUPPLY OF EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION HOSTEL PROVISION FOR MEN Name No of Beds Cedar House 50 Simon 30 Santa Maria 56 Whitworth Rd 16 Back Lane 75 York House 92 Iveagh 195 Total SUPPLY OF HOSTEL ACCOMMODATION FOR WOMEN & FAMILIES Name Description No of Beds Haven House single women or families 30 Regina Coeli Single Units, 70 Dorm Beds 25 Family Units 15 Simon Single women 4-5 Missionary Sisters Family Units 4-5 Abbey St Single Women 30 Total 124 (single women and one parent families) 20 Dedicated Family Units 34 Beds (single women)

7 TRENDS IN CURRENT HOSTEL ACCOMMODATION Gaps-under 25 s and drug users Silting up of Beds (i.e. no move-on accommodation) No Hostel Accommodation for Two Parent Families DEMAND - TRENDS IN NEW CASES PRESENTING FAMILY TYPE 1 st Quarter st Quarter 2002 % increase Couples % Couples + Children % Single Female % Single Male % Single Parent Family % Total %

8 OBSERVATIONS ON SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION As can be seen from the statistics supplied there is almost a 50% increase in new cases presenting to the unit in the first quarter to 2002 compared to that of The most significant increases are in the case categories that are traditionally dependant on bed and breakfast placements. Most hostel accommodation is silted up particularly in the higher grade hostels (e.g. Iveagh, Backlane, York House) There is a low turnover of beds in hostels generally. The total number of hostel beds theoretically available for all case categories amounts to 692 beds. In accordance with the numbers presenting to the unit for the first quarter of 2002 the number of beds required for that quarter alone was As additional accommodation sourced by Dublin City Council comes on stream the unit moves cases from bed and breakfast into this accommodation. Families presenting from local authority areas outside the Dublin City Council area often express a strong desire to be placed near their former address in order to have the security of known social supports and where there are children involved to maintain continuity in the local schools. Whilst the three local authorities of Fingal, Dunlaoighre/Rathdown and South County Dublin have excellent plans for the provision of social housing in the future this however does not address the immediate problem.

9 PRIVATE SECTOR PROPERTIES PROFILE 15 TH May, 2002 Address Type Unit/ Cost per Rooms Beds Bed 1 Abbey St Mid CAP Aungier St CAP Off Ballymun Rd CAP Beaumont Rd Blessington St Bolton Street Buckingham St Camden St CAP Chapelizod Hill Rd CAP Chapelizod Hill Rd CAP Chapelizod Hill Rd CAP Charlemont St CAP Clanbrassil St CAP Clanbrassil St CAP Clanbrassil St CAP Clonskeagh Rd CAP Crumlin Road CAP Dorset St Lr CAP Dorset St Lr Francis St CAP 8 Apt 2bed Gardiner St Upr CAP 6 Apt Gardiner St Upr CAP Upr Gardiner St Upr CAP Gardiner St Lr Greenhills Rd CAP Greenhills Rd CAP Greenhills Rd CAP Greenhills Rd CAP Hill St 10 Apt Hollybrook Park CAP Hollybrook Park CAP Inchicore Road CAP Kimmage Road Lr CAP Manor Street CAP Meath St CAP 5 Apt Merrion Rd CAP Mount Brown CAP Mountjoy St CAP 8 S/con Mountjoy St CAP 6 S/con Nelson St CAP Nephin Road CAP 4 Apt

10 42 Nephin Road CAP 6 Apt Nth Circular Road CAP Nth Circular Road CAP Nth Circular Road CAP Nth Circular Road Nth Circular Road CAP Nth Circular Road CAP Nth Circular Road CAP Nth Circular Road 2-bed hse 24 Ave Nth Circular Road Ave Nth King St CAP 7 Apt Parkgate St CAP Sth Circular Rd CAP Sth Circular Road CAP Talbot St The Coombe CAP 4 Apt The Coombe CAP 5 Apt Whitworth Road CAP Woodbine Park 4 9 Units= 551 1,789 MAUREEN WINDLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE 20th June, 2002