THE NUMBER of homeless people has increased by 4 per cent over the past three years to more than 2,300, despite record funding aimed at eliminating long-term homelessness within the next two years.
A review of homeless services commissioned by the Homeless Agency Partnership raises significant concerns about too much money being put into emergency accommodation rather than longer-term accommodation which could help people out of homelessness.
As a result, it points to hundreds of homeless people who need long-term accommodation but are stuck in a cycle of emergency accommodation without proper access to rehabilitation services.
For example, more than half (55 per cent) of those who are in emergency accommodation have been homeless for more than five years.
Much greater progress was recorded in reducing the numbers sleeping rough, which fell from 185 to 110 between March 2005 and March 2008, a 40 per cent decrease.
The figure includes a dramatic increase in the number of foreign nationals sleeping rough who accounted for 38 per cent of rough sleepers in 2008, compared to 9 per cent in 2005.
The Homeless Agency, which is responsible for planning and administering funding for homeless services, said yesterday it has sent a submission to Government seeking to redirect existing resources towards long-term housing provision.
If this is done, the agency says it is confident its vision of ending long-term homelessness and the need to sleep rough will be achieved by 2010.
Cathal Morgan, director of the Homeless Agency, said: "We need to move people out of temporary accommodation into long-term housing with supports if required. It has always been the focus of our 10-year vision and there has never been a better opportunity for this to start to happen than now.
"What is required is a rapid refocusing of resource allocation on long-term solutions, which should be in support of the overall objective of realising the 2010 Vision to eliminate long-term homelessness and the need for people to sleep rough," he said.
Minister of State for housing Michael Finneran has endorsed the findings of the review which, he says, affirmed the approach taken in the Government's recently published national strategy to tackle homelessness.
He added that he would fight hard to secure as much funding as possible next year for homeless services.
However, homeless charities fear the recession and increasing pressure on public finances will pose major challenges in securing funding over the coming years.
Groups such as Dublin Simon and Focus Ireland say they have been lobbying for years to secure more funding for appropriate and longer-term accommodation.
Sam McGuinness, chief executive of Dublin Simon Community and chairman of the Homeless Network, said the lack of move-on accommodation meant many people who were capable of living independently were "suspended" in homeless services.
"It is scandalous that of those in emergency accommodation long-term, over 55 per cent have been stuck there for over three years. This is unacceptable," he said.
"The Government must take immediate action, starting with an implementation plan for the national strategy on homelessness, promised by the end of this year."
Focus Ireland said the findings that about 70 per cent of people who are homeless can go on to life in mainstream housing in communities is to be welcomed.
"By providing access to supported housing people can live in their own homes on a long-term basis," said Joyce Loughnane.
"It is also much more cost effective than funding private landlords to provide emergency accommodation."