Government unveils homelessness strategy

The Government today unveiled a new strategy on homelessness that aims to eradicate the need for people to sleep rough within five years.

The Way Home: A Strategy to Address Adult Homelessness in Ireland 2008 – 2013contains three key objectives: eliminating long-term occupation of emergency homeless facilities; eradicating the need to sleep rough; and preventing homelessness as far as possible.

The new strategy is aimed to lead the drive towards value for money, effectiveness and high standards.

Announcing the strategy, John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and Michael Finneran, Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas, said the challenge was to get the best value for money from the "very substantial resources" devoted to tackling homelessness.

Referring to the objective to minimise the occurrence of homelessness, Mr Finneran said: "It would not make sense to invest big efforts and resources on homeless services if we don't do enough to prevent homelessness occurring or recurring."

The strategy been developed through the Cross Departmental Team on Homelessness with input from the National Homeless Consultative Committee following an Independent Review of the Implementation of Homeless Strategies, published in 2006.