Peter McVerry Trust, the national housing and homeless charity, has welcomed a significant drop in the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin.

The charity, which operates the Housing First programme across Dublin’s four local authorities on behalf of the DRHE and Department of Housing, said the drop in people recorded as sleeping rough by 25% since April this year and by 33% since November last year reflects the continued success of Housing First which provides immediate access to housing for people on the streets.

Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said “We are delighted to see the number of people sleeping rough drop by 25% since April 2021 according to the latest report issued by the DRHE which also marks a reduction by 33% since the count carried out in November 2020. That means there are fewer people and less tents on our streets which can only be welcomed. It also reflects the ongoing work being carried out to engage with and house people through the Housing First model which Peter McVerry Trust operates on behalf of the DRHE and the four Dublin local authorities.

“Since April this year our Intake Team, as part of the broader Peter McVerry Trust Housing First programme in Dublin, has secured housing for 33 individuals. Housing First provides housing with intensive case management via a multidisciplinary team of staff to ensure that people are supported to sustain their tenancy and we have a success rate of 86% for our tenants.

“Peter McVerry Trust is continuing to work with Minister Darragh O’Brien, the Department of Housing, the Housing Agency and Local Authorities to increase the number of housing units for single people. Peter McVerry Trust is also ensuring that we step up our own delivery of projects and we recently commissioned a new housing development in Dublin 4 which will provide for another four Housing First tenancies within the wider development.

“Increasing the supply of one-bedroom homes in Dublin and elsewhere across the country is something we are very focused on and we hope that with the continued ramping up of social housing that more doors will open to people sleeping rough and the number can continue to fall as Housing First continues to grow and succeed.”