Simon Week 2023 - Prevention

On Prevention:

  • Double the homeless prevention budget available to €31,303,194.
  • Increase HAP rates in line with Market rents.
  • Enact the Simon Homeless Prevention Bill

Context:

Preventing homelessness from occurring in the first instance is the most sustainable way of reducing homelessness in the long-term. The Simon Communities of Ireland have long campaigned for the priority of homeless prevention policies and practices. It is positive to see that the importance of homelessness prevention is reflected in major Housing policies such as the Youth Homelessness Strategy[1] and Housing for All. Budget 2024 needs to provide financial support to allow prevention polices and practices to take effect and reduce the number of people entering homelessness.

Prevention policies work and are in high demand. From January to December of 2022, Galway Simon Community supported 810 households, including 225 families. This comprised of 925 adults and 476 children; a total of 1,401 individuals. Over 90% of those who engaged with Galway Simon Community’s Prevention Services over the past two years avoided entering Emergency Accommodation.[2]

Studies show that a large proportion of people experiencing homelessness in Ireland could have avoided the need for emergency homeless accommodation if they had been supported with targeted homeless prevention policies. A 2008 evaluation of homeless services in Dublin[3] reported that 69% (1,409) of the people surveyed in emergency accommodation could move into mainstream housing either with no support (259) or with short-term support (391). This suggest that many may not have required emergency accommodation in the first place if they were able to receive timely housing support or information. A 2022 study[4] found similar results. The study categorised 72% of single adults in homeless emergency accommodation in Dublin as ‘transitional users’. Research shows that 75% of people who fall into this category of homelessness have their immediate housing problem resolved after one homelessness episode, meaning it is likely that intervention would have prevented the need for homeless emergency accommodation in the first instance.

Homeless Financial Report[5] figures show that homeless prevention work is not a priority in terms of funding allocation:

  • In 2022, 6% (€15,651,597) of funding was spent on homeless prevention (Category 1 supports)[6], down from 6.6% in 2021.
  • There was also an underspend of €413,489 in prevention work.
  • At the same time, 81.9% of funding (€213.2 million) was spent on Category 2[7] supports; an increase from 78.3% in 2021. This included a €4.435 million overspend in 2022.

Budget 2023 allocated an additional 10.8% funding towards tackling homelessness as a whole. The Simon Communities of Ireland ask that in 2024, the Budget 2024 allocate and additional €15,651,597 to be used specifically in homelessness prevention. This is an opportunity for the Government to show it’s true commitment to ending homelessness by 2030 by funding sustainable homeless prevention policies and measures.

Additional Policy Asks:

Fully enact the Simon Bill into legislation.

[1] Nine actions under Strategic Aim 1 of the Youth homeless strategy aim to “prevent young people from entering homelessness”, Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/69597-youth-homelessness-strategy/
[2] Learn more about Galway Simon Community’s prevention services here: https://galwaysimon.ie/homelessness-prevention/
[3] https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/11721/1/homeless_agency_evaluation_of_services.pdf
[4] Homelessness duration and stability: A typology of emergency accommodation usage patterns in Dublin, Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275122001743
[5] Local Authority Regional Financial Reports, Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/#local-authority-regional-financial-reports
[6] Category 1 supports include Homeless Prevention, Tenancy Sustainment and Resettlement supports
[7] Category 2 supports include the provision of emergency homeless accommodation.