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Our Head of Policy and Sector Development Paula O’Leary catches up with Ireland’s homelessness and housing sector leaders.
She met with representatives from Dublin Simon Community including Pat Greene, Head of Policy & Volunteering, Wendy Crampton, Head of Services and Ciaran King, Outreach Manager.
Services
Dublin Simon Community (DSC) offers services and support to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan to enable people to move to a place they can call home. This includes the following for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness: emergency accommodation and outreach services, medium and high support housing projects, tenancy sustainment and settlement services, housing advice and information services and residential alcohol detox, recovery and aftercare services.
DSC was founded by a group of Trinity and University College Dublin (UCD) students in 1969, who began by providing much-needed soup and sandwiches to people who were sleeping rough in Dublin City Centre. As a community they support people to exit homelessness, access and retain homes, and rebuild lives by delivering housing, health and wellbeing services. Dublin Simon Community has been working with rough sleepers in Dublin for more than 50 years with the team out on the streets 365 day a year and operates in all areas of Dublin City and county.
The Dublin Simon Community are contracted to provide assertive outreach services in Dublin City and the surrounds in partnership with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and are the largest provider in the region. This service engages with adults who are rough sleeping, supports them into short term homeless accommodation, and makes appropriate referrals to permanent housing options especially Housing First. The service also ensures that people experiencing rough sleeping are linked with other appropriate housing and health services to prevent further rough sleeping.
Paula also visited The Housing Agency, Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin Region Homeless Executive and Cork City Council during her trip.
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