Abstract
This is an academic investigation for the Dublin Business School by Patrice O’Sullivan, an MBA graduate in 2018. This dissertation will discuss homelessness in Ireland and look at the ongoing discussions around ending the cycle of homelessness and evaluate the constant pressure towards the Irish Government to either increase the budget or build more social housing, in order to official end the cycle of reoccurring homelessness. It will then look further into this and see if the current supports that are currently being offered by the social care workers, addiction support workers and the charitable organisations are really doing everything they can, to reduce the cycle of homelessness. The main question that will remain in the back of the researchers mind will be; is homelessness maintained by the local charities or reducing by having positive progression to independent accommodation?
The Irish Government is constantly launching a plan to end long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough in Ireland, as it the stands the new plan that is launched is the hope of homelessness to end of 2020. It is highly unlikely that this ambitious target will be achieved, and indeed, the extent of homelessness, particularly family homelessness, is at unprecedented levels. In 2017, during the winter months there was at least one family per day presenting homeless.
This paper attempts to explain why homelessness, particularly long-term homelessness, has increased rather than decreased in Ireland. It will then provide an overview of the evolution of homelessness, particularly in Dublin by looking at the homelessness policy.
The paper concludes that despite the many successful initiatives that are reported to prevent homelessness, there deem to be an excessive flow into homelessness which is driven primarily by referring people to rented accommodation that are not ready to sustain independent living. This paper will also show that the charitable organisations are not encouraging sustainment from their drug addiction or being taught valuable life skills that will be beneficial and key to maintain an independent life.
