Everyone should have a place to live that they can call home. We now have a real opportunity to end homelessness, rather than just manage it, writes Anne Connolly.
Simon has good reason to be optimistic. At last, an end to one of our nation's most persistent challenges is in sight. We can now make homelessness history.
Ireland has reached the point where we can move away from simply managing homelessness to ending it. The "solution" of moving people off the streets, and housing them for extended periods in emergency shelters, no longer has a place in our prosperous society.
Significant progress has been achieved in recent years through the combined efforts of statutory and voluntary agencies. For instance, new figures by the Homeless Agency suggest that the numbers sleeping rough in Dublin fell by 41 per cent between 2002 and 2005.
However, the numbers using emergency accommodation has declined by only 10 per cent, and over a third of those counted have been homeless for more than three years.
Ending homelessness means that no one should be left to sleep rough. No one should be required to live in emergency accommodation for longer than an emergency. Everyone should have a place to live that they can call home.
The Simon Communities of Ireland will be playing a role in ending homelessness. Today, we will launch our three-year strategic plan. Ending Homelessness, Creating Homes commits all of our eight communities to finding lasting housing solutions for everyone who uses our services.
The plan sets out four key areas that will act as our focus. First, Simon commits to finding appropriate housing to meet individual needs.
Solutions will be designed comprising additional resources and an enhancement of our existing services. Some of the people who use our services require supported accommodation, while others are in a position to live in independent housing units.
Many require additional support services. We will work to deliver whatever solution and support is required to end homelessness for each person that contacts our services.
Secondly, Simon is now in a position to place a much stronger emphasis on preventing homelessness than ever before. We will use our on-the-ground knowledge to identify the triggers that cause people to become homeless. These triggers change all of the time. For instance, we are now experiencing homelessness among new immigrant and migrant communities.
Developing best-practice for tenancy sustainment models will also be a core element of our prevention work. We will share these best-practice models with other stakeholders in the homeless sector.
Another pinnacle of our work will be advocacy. We intend to use our extensive knowledge base to influence the relevant authorities to play their part in ending homelessness too. National and local authorities have shown themselves to be more receptive to our initiatives in recent years, and we are now important partners in successful housing projects.
Statutory agencies see what can be achieved in partnership on housing projects. We intend to continue lobbying and strengthening these partnerships.
Finally, Simon has ambitious goals. To achieve these, we must be effective, outcome-driven and accountable. We want to continue to attract the best people to work and volunteer so that we can offer the people who use our services the best possible outcomes.
As well as making our auditing and evaluation processes better, we will give those we assist a meaningful input into the design and delivery of the services they receive.
To this end, we will adapt our organisation so that the people who use our service become partners in providing solutions.
Simon would not have reached such a position today without the tremendous efforts of thousands of volunteers. Volunteers will continue to play a critical role.
Ending homelessness would make Ireland a beacon within the EU. Investing in sustainable housing solutions also represents better value for money. Simon estimates that the provision of high-quality accommodation in the private rented sector - with a support worker - would cost €12,000 in a year. The average cost of hospital psychiatric care is €120,000 a year. To provide the same person with supported housing in a community environment would cost €40,000.
The real benefit in ending homelessness is the restoration of dignity and respect to our citizens who have found themselves without a home.
Ending homelessness will be a testament to Ireland's spirit of generosity, compassion and volunteering ethos. Simon looks forward to playing its part in achieving this.
Anne Connolly is chairwoman of the Simon Community of Ireland.