35 new homes will be provided in Laois for people who are homeless, Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming has confirmed.
Minister Darragh O’Brien, TD and President of the Irish Council for Social Housing and CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, Pat Doyle, launched the Housing First National Implementation Plan for 2022-2026.
Nationally this will provide 1,319 new supported tenancies for people who are homeless and who have complex additional needs.
Deputy Fleming welcomed the news and explained how the programme works.
He said: “The Housing First Programme is one of the key responses in ending long-term homelessness among those with complex health and mental health needs.
“It provides the most vulnerable of our homeless with a home for life as well as with key wraparound health and social supports.
“Partners involved in this programme are; local authorities, the Department of Health, the HSE and the NGO sector, as well as the Probation Service, the Irish Prison Service and the Genio Trust.
“The Peter McVerry Trust has been working to create Housing First tenancies in Dublin since 2011 in Dublin.
“The success rate of the tenancies which have been created to date shows us that it is working and that it should be extended and indeed rolled-out nationwide
“I am pleased to see this housing commitment by the Government in tackling homelessness and look forward to agencies and services working together in this new Housing First Plan.”
Deputy Fleming also welcomed an announcement by the Government of €75,000 to promote initiatives, campaigns and training to promote awareness in Laois and improve accessibility for citizens.
This is a new fund to support the participation of people with disabilities in local activities and to help remove barriers in community involvement.
Local Authorities applied for funding under this new scheme and it is great that funding has now been allocated.
A number of Local Authorities indicated that it would be important that any fund would build awareness of these issues within their own organisations so they could implement policies at a practical level for the benefit of all in local communities.
Deputy Fleming said: “I look forward to Laois County Council utilising this fund for the benefit of people with disabilities to ensure a programme is put in place in all areas in the county and are accessible to everybody locally.
“This new fund will also be a learning experience for all Local Authorities so that they can apply for further funding in 2022 to target measures that will make practical changes to participation and integration that will benefit everybody in everyday life in our community.”
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