Housing First Demonstration Project: Partnership to create system change in Dublin

1. Housing First Demonstration Project: Partnership to create system change in Dublin Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland 28th November 2013

2. Overview • Why Housing First in Dublin? • Key changes within a Housing-led Approach. • The journey so far: realising Housing First principles; challenges and experiences. • Housing First but not Housing Only

3. Why Housing First in Dublin? • Adoption of Pathway to Home (2009) • Integrated model of service delivery for persons experiencing and at risk of homelessness: Prevention, Housing, Support. • Service reconfiguration and change management ongoing since 2009 • Pathways to Home is an early version of Ireland’s newly adopted housing-led approach to homelessness • Local approach (precedes welcome change in the articulation and orientation of national policy) • Evaluation of services – need for a systemic, cohesive approach. • Allowed (attempted) adoption of NYC Housing First model (via skills transfer and exchange) from 2011

4. Local changes within a Housing-led Approach. • Completed reconfiguration of services in 2013 • Localisation is now complete across each Dublin Local Authority • Full suite of services ranging from outreach, 24 hr supported temporary accommodation to floating support services and accommodation with on-site support • PGH HUB: Central Placement Service for Emergency, Oversight & Allocation of Long-term Supported Housing, Housing First, Mental Health team, Health Multi-disciplinary team. • Consolidation of agencies - 5 mergers in voluntary sector • Training and accreditation viaDublin City University • Case Management protocols and common assessment tool in place

5. Local changes within a Housing-led Approach. • Implemented shared client support and bed management system (PASS) • National roll-out of PASS now underway • Quality Standards Manual in place • Now being revised for national implementation from 2014 • Evaluation Model (new approach; dedicated and customised model for Pathway to Home services) • Pathway to Home HABITACT Peer Review 2013 • Available shortly @ www.feantsa.org

6. Original target group: known population of 23 enduring rough sleepers Criteria for HF: Chronic experience of homelessness over a number of years  A broad range of significant support needs (mental health/ addiction) Not engaged effectively with available accommodation or support services Priority for rough sleepers The individual would agree to: Participate in the project; Accept home visits; Pay rent. Dublin ‘day time tapping’ (2009)

7. Dublin housing first demonstration project: New governance structure in 2013

9. Demographics PARTICPANTS: 26 Single males: 14 Single females: 2 5 couples: 10 1 is in the process of moving from PEA- held up due to refurbishment Out of Tenancy: 1 seeking a tenancy since early Sept (incl of custody). 4 tenancies could be described as vulnerable. INTAKE: 1 female: in custody 1 male: rough sleeping 9 Households on priority list

11. The journey so far…Experience Housing Self-contained Scattered site: no more than 20% of any block of housing Mixed tenure within rental markets: social housing and private rented housing Full tenancy rights, in line with Irish Private Residential Tenancies Act, and governed by PRTB New Housing Sources: LA Social Rental AHB Private Rented (BID) Leasing/Social Rental Agency Model Support Promoting autonomy and respect for choice works. Intensity of support varies 9 people not previously linked to drug/ addiction treatment services prior to housing: all now seeking Methadone. 3 went into residential detox/stabilisation. Mental health services: local service arrangements are positive. Very, very important. Primary Care Needs are very high. Intensive Case Management model works: shared caseload can be confusing for clients (multiple staff)

12. Securing access to private rented tenancies: market resistance to client group • Income inadequacy of tenants and restrictions on income subvention for rent payments: informal personal contribution to rents • Loss of tenancies:(a) Bank Repossession- 1 (b) rent arrears- 0 (c) Landlord Preference- ? (d) Anti-social behaviour- 6 (e) Tenant Abandoning- 1 (f) Lease not renewed - 1 • Estate management issues: concerns about theclient group among social housing providers (anti-social behaviour). • Allocation policy: equity issues (prioritisation) • Effective separation of housing & support functions is really important. • Role of housing allowances and ‘premium’ payment for homeless households housing: Experiences, challenges and Learning

13. Challenge of focusing on the person, not the tenancy- allowing for choice; • Accepting tenancies will fail; • Underestimating how intensive housing support needs are; • Homeless Vs Community Services • Managing interactions with neighbours; • Need to develop harm minimisation responses for couples with domestic violence who stay together; • Loneliness and social isolation; (Patrick, Babby the Pek & the Staff) • Peer advocacy within HF and meaningful occupation • Staff Competency Support: Experiences, challenges and Learning

14. Summary • Housing First in Dublin is a Partnership (Local authority, HSE, PMVT, DSC, FI, AL, MQI, Safetynet& AHBs (Cluid/Respond/NABCO) • Progress is slow and success for housing first and housing led approach is fragile; • Tentative first steps towards required reform momentum for rental housing sector in Ireland (standards/protections); • System change is difficult, given the supply deficiencies, but new housing-led policy coherence helps; • The de-institutionalisation of homelessness is happening but needs multi-agency approach and continued cultural change away from ‘warehousing’. • Housing First Team strongly believe that this is the single most effective way to work with people experiencing chronic homelessness.

15. Thanks for listening Mary Hayes Dublin Region Homeless Executive mary.hayes@dublincity.ie www.homelessdublin.ie