An increase in emergency accommodation for single people and couples is planned by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.
The Executive’s Cold Weather Strategy 2023/24 shows that additional beds will be available on a “phased basis” throughout the winter months.
As these beds come on stream, they will be made available as needed, depending on the demand for homeless services on any given night, the DRHE has said.
In the event of cold weather or any emergency event in Dublin, the Executive coordinates the response to homelessness on behalf of the four Dublin Local Authorities.
The Cold Weather Strategy focuses on expanding current capacity to meet the “increasing demand for emergency accommodation” while also providing a “targeted response for people who are long-term rough sleeping.”
All residential services now operate on a 24 hours basis, with meals provided on site and/or cooking facilities.
Total additional capacity is 330 permanent beds and 40 extreme weather beds. The permanent beds are also open 24-hours with meals provided onsite.
“Our services operate throughout the year to support people who are sleeping rough. During the cold weather period, services are enhanced to mitigate against the health risks that cold weather poses,” DRHE said in a statement.
“The cold weather provides opportunities for more assertive engagement with long-term, entrenched rough sleepers and hard-to- reach groups, aimed at placing them in appropriate and long-term accommodation.”
Enhanced services operating for this cold weather period include Dublin Street Outreach service provided by the Dublin Simon Community, the Outreach Mobile Health Clinic, operated by Safetynet and funded by the HSE.
The Executive has 40 plus emergency beds that can be activated during extreme weather conditions or adverse events.
DRHE in partnership with Dublin Simon Outreach are “assertively” working on the streets offering accommodation to all rough sleepers.
The statement said: “The teams are very familiar with the locations of people sleeping rough across the Dublin Region and persistently work with individuals to support them into emergency accommodation. This process can take time and multiple contacts, as some people do not want to engage but the teams persevere with every person working to achieve a successful outcome.”
The service operates 365 days a year, until 1am. Outreach teams also ensure that people sleeping rough are linked with other appropriate health services such as addiction and mental health services to prevent further rough sleeping.
