Our Homelessness Strategy
Updated: 12 Feb 2012
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We took over responsibility for dealing with homelessness in 1989. At that time there were only two temporary accommodation hostels serving all of Northern Ireland.
At present the temporary accommodation pool comprises approximately 94 statutory and voluntary sector hostels, 600 private self contained properties and 42 units of private sector shared accommodation for emergency use.
In total, there is access to almost 5,000 bed spaces. Over the past ten years some 74,000 households have been accepted as statutorily homeless, with 50% of housing allocations going to homeless households.
Our approach
The Strategy’s three-strand approach is geared towards:
- Helping people to avoid homelessness
- Helping people to escape from homelessness
- Supporting people when they get a home
The Strategy followed a thorough review of homelessness in Northern Ireland, which we undertook in conjunction with the statutory and voluntary sectors. It takes in to account the comments made by the Northern Ireland Audit Office in their examination of homelessness services here.
The Strategy also reflects the DSD Committee’s recommendations in their inquiry into homelessness in Northern Ireland.
An inter-agency team of representatives from the Health and Social Services Boards/Trusts, Probation Board, the voluntary sector and Housing Executive will oversee the implementation of the Strategy recommendations.
You can read more about our objectives in tackling homelessness, and how we approach the problems and causes of homelessness in this section.
