Long-term homelessness and the need to sleep rough are to be eliminated in the Dublin area within four years under plans announced yesterday.
The Homeless Agency Partnership, which comprises voluntary and statutory agencies responsible for delivering homeless services, said its new plan would build on recent progress made in reducing the number of homeless people.
The most recent periodic assessment of homelessness in Dublin recorded a 40 per cent decrease in the number of those sleeping rough from 312 in 2002 to 185 in 2005.
The number of homeless households and people experiencing homelessness fell over the same period by 19 per cent and 46 per cent respectively.
Speaking at the plan's launch yesterday, Kathleen Holohan, chairwoman of the board of the Homeless Agency, said homelessness had changed significantly since the first action plan six years ago.
"We have achieved many successes, but new challenges still face us.
"Our new strategy, A Key to the Door, will ensure that we move ahead from improvements in how we deliver homeless services and towards eliminating long-term homelessness and the need for people to sleep rough in Dublin."
The new strategy for 2007 to 2010 sets out three main aims:
• Preventing people from becoming homeless;
• providing effective services in each local area to address the accommodation, housing, health and other needs of people who are homeless, and
• providing sufficient long-term housing, with supports as required, for people who are homeless.
Minister for Housing Noel Ahern said the Government was committed to increasing funding for homeless services, which had increased from €10 million in 1999 to €36 million last year.
He said the new plan would play an important role in eliminating long-term homelessness by giving a clear framework for the planning and delivery of support and services to homeless people.
"This plan represents the type of comprehensive and co-ordinated response which is needed to address complex social issues such as homelessness," Mr Ahern said.
"It is also evidence that the statutory and voluntary sectors can work effectively together to develop and implement strategies to address what are often very difficult issues."
The US government's most senior official responsible for tackling homelessness expressed support for the plan and said the partnership of all agencies was crucial to making progress.
Philip Mangano, executive director of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, said the US also wanted to end long-term homelessness under its 10- year plan which is being implemented by more than 200 communities in 49 states.
The Homeless Agency's strategy is the result of a lengthy process involving the participation of voluntary and statutory service providers.