Jason Hempenstall (38) had been sleeping rough since he was eight when he came into contact with an experimental project moving people straight from the streets into homes.
He now lives in a bright, warm one-bedroom apartment in Dublin city centre.
Despite a few steps back along the way, he has been supported by the Housing First project since he was referred to it four years ago.
Housing First is a radical approach to rough sleeping. It does not use the “staircase” approach of moving this vulnerable cohort through a series of steps, including hostels, detox centres or emergency housing, before deeming them ready for housing.
Rather it places them straight into housing with intensive wrap-around supports.
Success rate
Pioneered in New York, the approach has been found to have a success rate of 80 to 90 per cent with once chronic rough-sleepers sustaining tenancies.
Some 57 rough sleepers have moved into long-term tenancies since 2014, but this week Minister for Housing Simon Coveney announced a trebling of Housing First tenancies as part of the homelessness action plan.
It is run jointly by Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust and now has a target of 300 Housing First tenancies in the next two years.
Jason was one of the first to benefit from it. He had been in care as a child but spent a lot of his childhood, and since, on the streets.
In 2012, and sleeping rough in Bray, he was before the courts for begging. Rather than imprison him the court referred him to Housing First.
He moved into a small flat near the Grand Canal with a “wrap-around” of supports including a key-worker, psychiatric services, medical and social care.
Jason spent almost a year in his first flat but drifted back to the streets before engaging again with Housing First.
"After almost 30 years homeless, it can take a few tries before a person settles into having a home," explains Jason's key-worker, Lyndsey Kinsella.
The apartment he is in now is “very good” he says.
“It felt strange at first, after being sleeping on the streets, being indoors. But I’m settling in here. I have good neighbours.”
Support workers call in almost every day. He says he likes going for long walks and for coffee, and feels good about life.
“I thought I’d always be homeless. It was tough going. I like living here, but I’ve no long-term plans. I take it day to day.”
