We largely welcome the new measures introduced in Budget 2021 relating to housing and homelessness, particularly considering the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and the threat of a hard Brexit looming large.

A total of €5.2b has been allocated to the Department of Housing, Gealtacht and Rural Affairs, with a specific capital investment of €500m to facilitate the construction of 9,500 new social housing units during 2021. This is an increase of the previous target of 8,900 units outlined in Rebuilding Ireland. Additional resources to supported the roll-out of affordable housing and cost rental models are also welcome. This budget heralds record levels of investment by the state in the construction of new homes to alleviate the current housing crisis beset by unaffordability and lack of stock in the last decade.

Additional funding has also been allocated to the homeless sector, with particular focus on a winter initiative. Una Burns, Head of Policy and Communications with NOVAS noted that ‘the specific assurance to provide one-bed units is most welcome considering that single individuals comprise more than 50% of the national social housing waiting list and spend very long periods of time living in homeless accommodation. The commitment to addressing this issue is very important.’

Despite some very promising inclusions in the budget, the greatest lacuna relates to renters. No measures were announced to protect renters from soaring costs of rent or from evictions. Considering that we continue to live the grips in of a pandemic and that many people entering homelessness for the first time come from the private rented market, this is an erroneous omission.  Protections for renters is an important preventative measure in combatting homelessness. Furthermore, while the Rebuilding Ireland targets have been revised upwards by 600 units for 2021, we would argue that it needs to be scaled even further.

Overall it is a positive and robust budget in tackling an issue that continues to the plague the country. We look forward to working with the department and the local authorities to play our part in addressing the crisis.

While scant on detail of implementation in parts, the draft Programme for Government published yesterday is broadly welcomed by NOVAS.

A commitment to a Referendum on the Right to Housing is outlined as a key priority and is something that has been long campaigned for by those working in the housing and homeless sector. While not a panacea for the homeless crisis in itself, it does offer a floor of protection for people seeking accommodation and would allow government to introduce measures that are currently prevented by the constitution. The commitment to establish a Housing Commission with a focus on tenure, standards and sustainability is another positive pledge.

A commitment to tackle the number of single homeless people is most welcome. During the Covid-19 pandemic, inroads into reducing family homelessness have been made, but the number of single homeless people accessing temporary accommodation grew. A focus on scaling up Housing First programmes is very important, as too it the provision of appropriate housing to make this happen. The specific commitment to developing more one-bed units is essential to reducing the number of single adults who are homeless and the period of time they are stuck in emergency accommodation.

As a member of the Irish Coalition to End Youth Homelessness, we welcome the pledge to develop a Youth Homeless Strategy.

There are also promising commitments to local authority tenants such as creating a social housing passport that is relevant in local authorities throughout the country as well as a nationwide choice-based letting approach. There is also a focus on reducing the burden on those renting, with mention of indefinite tenure, a cost rental programme and a deposit holding scheme as utilised in many European countries. The extension of rent freezes and a ban on evictions is essential to maintaining people in their accommodation and reducing the number of households becoming homeless.

The draft Programme for Government has many and varied priorities to ‘reducing and preventing’ homelessness and increasing the stock of housing in the country, however it requires more details. How will housing, both that to rent and buy, be made more affordable? And what is affordable? Targets are important to measure our progress and the biggest target of all should be a commitment to end long-term homelessness in the state.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have developed additional ways to support people experiencing homelessness and social marginalisation.

If you are in a position to help, here are some of the ways your donations are spent:

€15 – Play and Activity Pack

School and childcare closures, movement restrictions and paused services have been particularly difficult for children who experience homelessness, especially those living in hotel and B&B accommodation. The  staff of our family services have been busy preparing play and activity packs for these children. The items must be small and easy to store, not too messy and help the children educationally and developmentally. Items include colouring and activity books, crayons and colouring pencils, sensory toys and books.

€40 – Grocery Pack: Many of the usual ways that low income households access food e.g. street outreach, soup kitchen, food banks, have been paused during the pandemic or people cannot attend due to risk of contagion. We are supporting may of the vulnerable households we work with, with grocery packs or food vouchers throughout lockdown. This helps ensure people continue to be nourished and alleviates one worry during this difficult time.

€100 – PPE

PPE is a hugely expensive and unplanned cost in our services. Every interaction our staff and volunteers undertake requires some level of PPE. For example home visits, street outreach, key-working and counselling sessions and daily client interactions in our services all require masks, gloves and sanitizer. Maintaining a 2m distance for less than 15 minutes is not always possible for our staff. Indeed our staff often have to preform CPR, support clients to dress, wash and toilet as well as other intimate personal care activities. A donation of €100 pays for PPE in one of our large accommodation services for all staff for a week, keeping them safe in fulfilling their vital front-line roles.

€250 – Welcome Pack

The pandemic has created opportunities to move many homeless households from emergency accommodation into long-term housing. For example during this period, NOVAS’ family service and housing section are moving 52 families from the Blanchardstown area of Dublin from emergency accommodation into their own homes. Many people, both singles and families, who have experienced homeless have few households items of their own and require support with basic supplies when moving. The supplies vary according to the needs of individual households, but include items such as bed linen, duvets and pillows, crockery and cutlery, towels, white goods and a small amount of furniture. These Welcome Packs have the opportunity to change someone’s life and give them the fresh start they have been dreaming of.

With a single-party government a highly unlikely outcome of the upcoming election, NOVAS urges political parties and independent TD’s to work together to implement urgent solutions to the current housing and homeless crisis.

Dr. Una Burns, Head of Policy and Communications with NOVAS believes that ‘a cross-party approach rooted in increasing supply is required to stem the tide of households becoming homeless. We need in the region of 35,000 new houses each year which must include a mixture of private, social, affordable and cost rental. The type and location of housing must consider current household composition. With single households comprising almost 24% of all households in the country, we require smaller units, one and two-beds.’

‘While homelessness is complex, the proliferation of the issue since 2014 is rooted in the lack of housing, particularly social housing provided by the state. Addressing the supply issue takes time of course, but it must be accelerated and social housing must replace HAP as the primary means of social housing support in the country’, says Burns.

She went on to say that enshrining the Right to Housing in the Constitution is also fundamental in addressing the housing crisis. While in isolation, it will not solve the problem, it provides a floor of protection in respect of basic housing. The Irish Constitution does not even provide for the Right to Shelter, which is at the discretion of local authorities.’. Burns went on to cite an example of our near neighbours Scotland, where a family can spend no longer than seven days in emergency accommodation, which she compares to the situation here ‘where families can languish for months and even years in emergency accommodation’.

NOVAS is urging all parties to commit to developing a National Homeless Family Strategy, to reduce the trauma and adverse childhood experiences children and teenagers are exposed to through protracted periods of homelessness.

Every year, NOVAS holds an annual Christmas Sleep-Out, our biggest fundraising event of the year. There are many ways to get involved in the sleep-out and support our Christmas appeal. Funds raised this Christmas help us support frontline homeless services. Here are a few of the ways you can support us.

1. Sleep Out

The biggest way to support the Christmas Sleep-Out is by taking part – by joining us on December 17th to sleep out for a single night, you will receive a sponsorship card to allow your friends and family to support your effort. Sponsorship cards from sleep-out participants are an important source of fundraising for the Christmas appeal. This year, we want as many people as possible to take part in the Sleep-Out in Limerick, Tralee or Thurles.

If you are interested in taking part, contact sleepout@novas.ie to receive more info and your sponsorship card.

2. Donate Online

We understand that many people want to support the Sleep-Out but aren’t available to join us on December 17th, that’s why we have an online donation facility where anyone can support the sleep-out and NOVAS services in general.

Donations are welcome at www.novas.ie/donate

3. Sponsor a friend

Perhaps you know someone who is taking part in the Sleep-Out – a fantastic way to support the cause is by sponsoring them and helping them to achieve their fundraising targets.

4. Show support on the night

The Sleep-Outs will be taking place in central locations in Limerick, Tralee and Thurles on December 20th. From 7pm, there will be music, carols and a team of volunteers with donation buckets. All are welcome to pop by on the evening to throw some change in the donation buckets and enjoy the music.

Bonus – Anything else!

All forms of support are more than welcome, whether you want to donate tea and biscuits to participate on the night or share our message on social media.

During 2018, for the first time ever, NOVAS supported more than 1,000 children who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. The number of children supported by the organisation was 1,003, rising from 716 in the previous twelve-month period, an increase of 40%. The vast majority of these children lived outside of Dublin; in Limerick city, north Tipperary, west Cork and Kerry.

Throughout the year some 4,768 people were supported by NOVAS, representing a staggering rise of 396% since 2010. The report reveals that people accessing accommodation services are getting younger, have complex needs relating to dual-diagnosis of mental health and addiction and are spending long periods of time in emergency and temporary accommodation.

In terms of the number of children and families supported by NOVAS, Una Burns, Head of Policy and Communications with the organisation noted that ‘it was a reflection of the homeless landscape, which has altered drastically in the last four years. The 2016 census revealed that the single biggest age category of homeless people in the state was 0 to 4 years. In the previous census of 2011, the largest category was 31 to 40 years. This seismic shift is evident in our own returns.’ Burns illustrated the many ways in which NOVAS supports families who are homeless or at risk, highlighting the importance of prevention; ‘our Intensive Family Support Service here in Limerick worked with 592 children last year. Approximately 50% of these were at risk of homelessness. It is imperative to do everything possible to prevent these families from becoming homeless by liaising with landlords, seeking alternative accommodation, advocating for social housing and continuing to procure our own properties for families. Last year we provided 34 new tenancies, with 93 people living in these homes.’

She went on to say that the organisation did extensive work in St. Mary’s Park in Limerick, considered by the Pobal Deprivation Index as the most deprived area in the country, outlining their collaborative endeavours with Regeneration and Limerick City and County Council to reduce involuntarily overcrowding and advocate for house upgrades for the many homes there in disrepair. Burns described the ‘multiple traumas experienced by the clients in St. Mary’s Park and how NOVAS’ Trauma Informed Approach has enhanced outcomes for these people.

In 2018 NOVAS became a Trauma Informed Organisation. The commitment to pioneer this approach was due to the significant correlation between people who access homeless services and their experience of trauma, both Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma in adulthood. Every staff member – frontline staff, kitchen staff, cleaners and management – are trained in Trauma Informed Care. Burns describes how ‘taking a trauma informed approach to all interactions with our clients increases the likelihood of a person experiencing safety and acceptance in a service and reduces disengagement. It’s a cultural shift, changing how we look at things from What’s wrong with you?  to What happened to you?’.

The report was officially launched by Cllr. Gerald Mitchell, Deputising for the Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, who acknowledged the important work the organisation does to enhance the lives of people living in the most vulnerable communities in Limerick and nationally. He thanked NOVAS for introducing innovative programmes such as Trauma Informed Care as well as their ability to co-operate, adapt and grow services to meet the ongoing demand for homeless services and housing.

You can view the full report here.