Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion Homelessness - A Targeted Approach

1. Combating Poverty and Social ExclusionHomelessness - A Targeted Approach Olmedo, Sardinia, 9th March 2011 Damien O’Mahony Cork City Council

2. Paths to Poverty Low educational attainment Lone parents Unemployment Family Breakdown Loss of partner/spouse/parent/s Addictions Disability – physical and mental

3. Effects of Poverty Access to education compromised Access to employment comprimised Social Housing – pool of disadvantage -concentrations may cause difficulties Poor health – mortality rate higher for cancer, heart disease, mental illness Less participation through marginalisation – voting; volunteering; church attendance (indication of diminished social capital)

4. Paths to Homelessness • Poverty and lack of housing options • Mental ill health • Addiction • Weak family supports • Experience of institutional care, • Eviction • Relationshipbreakdown • But protective factors must be mentioned i.e. significant positive relationship; engagement in work or training, even where theunderlying causes and risk factors are present

5. Homeless community not homogenous but common characteristics exist • High levels of mental ill health, • Psychological, behavioural and personality disorders • Intellectual and learning difficultiesand addiction problems. • Across the developed world, the majority of homeless people aresingle men. • Homelessness is not a random process and as suchallows for the development of targeted interventions to address homelessness and toprevent it from occurring in the first place.

6. The Celtic Tiger Reduced poverty but unemployment now up to 13.7% (almost 20% in 1980s) Relative poverty (on or below 60% of national income EU definition) Consistent poverty (with added indicators of disadvantage – e.g. lone parent; unemployed; disabled)– 11% (inc. working poor)

7. Breakout Sessions • Systems - Latvia • Value for Money - Greece • Integration - Romania • Prevention - Spain

8. Methodology • Record findings • Nominate spokesperson • General application • Not confined by individual funding constraints

9. Homeless Action Planning in Cork • Homeless Forum established 1991 • Plans founded on detailed consultation process with stakeholders – local government; health services; police; voluntary agencies

10. Achievements to date • Elimination of need to sleep rough • Accommodation standards raised • Provision of transitional housing • Multi-disiplinary Teams established • Gateway Project (wet shelter) • Cork Foyer

11. Achievements to date, contd. • Strong working partnerships between the key local stakeholders • The development of discharge protocols for those at risk of homelessness leavingpsychiatric or acute hospitals. • Critical local interventions stimulated via local homeless action plans.

12. The Way Home 2008-2013 Strategic Aims • Preventing Homelessness • Eliminate Need to Sleep Rough • Eliminate Long Term Homelessness • Meet Long Term Housing Needs • Ensure Effective Services for Homeless People • Better Coordinated Funding arrangements

13. A New Focus – More Detail • The development of longer term accommodation options through the provision ofadditional social housing, greater use of the private sector and the development of long term supportedaccommodation with on site specialist care. • The improvement of the coordination of fundingbetween the Department ofEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Health so that capital and revenue funding works in tandem, with thedevelopment of more formal funding mechanisms, more transparent selection ofprojects and improved monitoring across the country.

14. A New Focus – More Detail • The development of a case management approach to addressing the needs ofhomeless people, based on key workers linking to core services and specialist healthservices which can be accessed, depending on individual needs. • The development of preventative strategies focused on at risk groups in addition toindividuals leaving prison, acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals.

15. Eliminate Long Term Homelessness • By end 2011 no one should be in emergency accommodation longer thansix months. • Achieved by the adequate supply of long term housing in each localarea to address current and projected needs • Adequate community support services forhouseholds vulnerable to homelessness • Accessible mental health and addiction services • Effective interventions by homeless services.

16. Meeting long term housing needs • Adequate supply of housing, esp. for single persons • Greater utilisation of existing housing stock and the provision of additional units by localauthorities • Greater use of the private and voluntary and co-operative housing sectors. • Settlement services andtenancy sustainment for formerly homeless people necessary in some cases.

17. Ensure effective services for homeless people • Services well organised, co-ordinated and integrated • focused on moving them out of homelessness as quickly as possible, into long termsustainable housing. • a national quality standards framework for homeless services, including arrangements for monitoring compliance.

18. Ensure effective services for homeless people Services include: • street outreach • temporaryaccommodation • Settlement • post settlement • tenancy sustainment and advice • informationand day centres • specialised homeless services.

19. Health services • Vital component of services for homeless people. • roll-out of primary care teams andprimary and social care networks. • Homeless people will accessprimary care through these new teams and networks • not intended that a separateand parallel health system will exist for homeless people.

20. Prevention Strategies • Adult Offenders • Young Offenders • Mental Health Residential Facilities • Acute Hospitals • Young Persons Leaving Care • Education and Homeless Persons • Monitoring

21. Prevention Strategies • Intervention bywider social welfare agencies including the establishment of indicators that act as an early warning system and ensure that supports are offered while the potentiallyhomeless individual remains in the family home. • New immigrants • Victims of Domestic Violence

22. Managing Change • Practices long established with wide public support • Paradigm shift required in approach • Significant change to structures on the part of service providers both financial and human resource • Change from reactive to proactive attitude on the part of commissioning agents (i.e. state bodies who fund the service) • Inclusion and consultation

23. Thank You