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Housing First Demonstration Project: Partnership to create system change in Dublin . Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland 28 th November 2013. Overview. Why Housing First in Dublin? Key changes within a Housing-led Approach.
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Housing First Demonstration Project: Partnership to create system change in Dublin Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland 28th November 2013
Overview • Why Housing First in Dublin? • Key changes within a Housing-led Approach. • The journey so far: realising Housing First principles; challenges and experiences. • Housing First but not Housing Only
Why Housing First in Dublin? • Adoption of Pathway to Home (2009) • Integrated model of service delivery for persons experiencing and at risk of homelessness: Prevention, Housing, Support. • Service reconfiguration and change management ongoing since 2009 • Pathways to Home is an early version of Ireland’s newly adopted housing-led approach to homelessness • Local approach (precedes welcome change in the articulation and orientation of national policy) • Evaluation of services – need for a systemic, cohesive approach. • Allowed (attempted) adoption of NYC Housing First model (via skills transfer and exchange) from 2011
Local changes within a Housing-led Approach. • Completed reconfiguration of services in 2013 • Localisation is now complete across each Dublin Local Authority • Full suite of services ranging from outreach, 24 hr supported temporary accommodation to floating support services and accommodation with on-site support • PGH HUB: Central Placement Service for Emergency, Oversight & Allocation of Long-term Supported Housing, Housing First, Mental Health team, Health Multi-disciplinary team. • Consolidation of agencies - 5 mergers in voluntary sector • Training and accreditation viaDublin City University • Case Management protocols and common assessment tool in place
Local changes within a Housing-led Approach. • Implemented shared client support and bed management system (PASS) • National roll-out of PASS now underway • Quality Standards Manual in place • Now being revised for national implementation from 2014 • Evaluation Model (new approach; dedicated and customised model for Pathway to Home services) • Pathway to Home HABITACT Peer Review 2013 • Available shortly @ www.feantsa.org
Original target group: known population of 23 enduring rough sleepers Criteria for HF: Chronic experience of homelessness over a number of years A broad range of significant support needs (mental health/ addiction) Not engaged effectively with available accommodation or support services Priority for rough sleepers The individual would agree to: Participate in the project; Accept home visits; Pay rent. Dublin ‘day time tapping’ (2009)
Dublin housing first demonstration project: New governance structure in 2013
Demographics PARTICPANTS: 26 Single males: 14 Single females: 2 5 couples: 10 1 is in the process of moving from PEA- held up due to refurbishment Out of Tenancy: 1 seeking a tenancy since early Sept (incl of custody). 4 tenancies could be described as vulnerable. INTAKE: 1 female: in custody 1 male: rough sleeping 9 Households on priority list
The journey so far…Experience Housing Self-contained Scattered site: no more than 20% of any block of housing Mixed tenure within rental markets: social housing and private rented housing Full tenancy rights, in line with Irish Private Residential Tenancies Act, and governed by PRTB New Housing Sources: LA Social Rental AHB Private Rented (BID) Leasing/Social Rental Agency Model Support Promoting autonomy and respect for choice works. Intensity of support varies 9 people not previously linked to drug/ addiction treatment services prior to housing: all now seeking Methadone. 3 went into residential detox/stabilisation. Mental health services: local service arrangements are positive. Very, very important. Primary Care Needs are very high. Intensive Case Management model works: shared caseload can be confusing for clients (multiple staff)
Securing access to private rented tenancies: market resistance to client group • Income inadequacy of tenants and restrictions on income subvention for rent payments: informal personal contribution to rents • Loss of tenancies:(a) Bank Repossession- 1 (b) rent arrears- 0 (c) Landlord Preference- ? (d) Anti-social behaviour- 6 (e) Tenant Abandoning- 1 (f) Lease not renewed - 1 • Estate management issues: concerns about theclient group among social housing providers (anti-social behaviour). • Allocation policy: equity issues (prioritisation) • Effective separation of housing & support functions is really important. • Role of housing allowances and ‘premium’ payment for homeless households housing: Experiences, challenges and Learning
Challenge of focusing on the person, not the tenancy- allowing for choice; • Accepting tenancies will fail; • Underestimating how intensive housing support needs are; • Homeless Vs Community Services • Managing interactions with neighbours; • Need to develop harm minimisation responses for couples with domestic violence who stay together; • Loneliness and social isolation; (Patrick, Babby the Pek & the Staff) • Peer advocacy within HF and meaningful occupation • Staff Competency Support: Experiences, challenges and Learning
Summary • Housing First in Dublin is a Partnership (Local authority, HSE, PMVT, DSC, FI, AL, MQI, Safetynet& AHBs (Cluid/Respond/NABCO) • Progress is slow and success for housing first and housing led approach is fragile; • Tentative first steps towards required reform momentum for rental housing sector in Ireland (standards/protections); • System change is difficult, given the supply deficiencies, but new housing-led policy coherence helps; • The de-institutionalisation of homelessness is happening but needs multi-agency approach and continued cultural change away from ‘warehousing’. • Housing First Team strongly believe that this is the single most effective way to work with people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Thanks for listening Mary Hayes Dublin Region Homeless Executive mary.hayes@dublincity.ie www.homelessdublin.ie