The number of homeless people in Dublin has fallen by almost 20 per cent, according to a report published today.
Research conducted for the Homeless Agency, which plans and co-ordinates services for homeless people in the capital, is also expected to show a substantial reduction in the number of people sleeping rough between 2002 and 2005.
The findings suggest that an increase in front-line services - such as street outreach, emergency accommodation, food and day services - as well as a greater focus on long-term accommodation support, are beginning to have an impact on homelessness.
The figures were based on the numbers accessing accident and emergency units, sleeping rough, staying in emergency accommodation, attending food or day centres and those on local authority homeless lists.
While numbers experiencing homelessness increased between 1999 and 2002, sources familiar with the new research say it will show a drop from 2,900 in 2002 to around 2,000 in March 2005. Just under a quarter were children.
The full details of the research, such as numbers sleeping rough and the length of time people have been homeless, will be released today at a function organised by the Homeless Agency and attended by the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Noel Ahern.
The widespread use of B&B-type emergency accommodation has been criticised by homeless support groups as expensive and inappropriate for families and children.
In recent years there has been an expansion in outreach teams targeted at people sleeping rough, while service providers have placed greater emphasis on long-term accommodation than on emergency shelters.
Mr Ahern last week announced €50 million for homeless services for the next 12 months. This included a greater proportion directed to long-term accommodation support rather than B&B-type accommodation.
Less than one-third of the money (€15.8 million) will be spent on B&B-type accommodation in Dublin. In contrast, half the funding went to emergency services in the capital in 2003.
Mr Ahern has said the Government is revising its homeless strategy. A key aim will be to continue helping homeless people move from emergency to longer-term accommodation.
Research conducted for the Simon Community last year estimated the cost of keeping a person in emergency accommodation at around €30,000, compared to less than €12,000 in private-sector accommodation.
