REFERRALS to the Novas family service in Limerick have increased by 184 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 compared with the same period in 2015.
According to the homeless agency’s business manager, Una Burns, their family service is now operating at 25 per cent above capacity, supporting 50 families a month.
“More and more families are presenting in crisis, with many already homeless,” she told the Limerick Post.
“The out-of-hours service has seen an increase in referrals of almost 250 per cent in the same period, while McGarry House, which is Limerick’s largest supported temporary accommodation service saw referrals increase by a staggering 400 per cent in the first quarter of the year.”
And, as part of their solution to tackling the overwhelming housing crisis in the city, the voluntary agency that works with the homeless and those at risk of homelessness, this week launched their ‘Housing First’ strategy.
For more than two years, Novas has run a very successful pilot programme with the support of local landlords who provide accommodation for people who have experienced homelessness.
Based on an internationally successful model, it provides intensive support to tenants, who are given independence, self-sufficiency, community engagement and security of tenure.
During her period as Minister for State with responsibility for Housing, Limerick Labour Party TD Jan O’Sullivan endorsed ‘Housing First’ as a means of ending long-term homelessness.
Launching the new Novas Initiatives’ strategy on Tuesday, she said it was the element of “wraparound support” that made it so successful and provided “security for landlords” as well as tenants.
She also praised Novas “for their dedication to addressing the homeless problem in Limerick for more than a decade”.
With the support of Limerick City and County Council and the Limerick Homeless Action Team, Novas is now operating a Housing First model with a dedicated staff team to support its clients.
Novas chief executive Michael Goulding explained that the organisation offers a range of facilities to ensure successful outcomes for both the tenant and the landlord.
“These include a dedicated Housing Support Team, optional rent collection via our National Housing Officer, a 24/7 on-call system for landlords and tenants and an internal maintenance team to complete any unplanned and exceptional repairs.
“It is our duty to find new and innovative ways of supporting long-term homeless people and a Housing First model tailored to the local environment is one such means in doing this,” Mr Goulding concluded.
by Alan Jacques
