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NI Audit Office: Homelessness Strategy ‘has had limited success’
Measures to reduce homelessness in Northern Ireland over the past five years have had “limited success”, according to the region’s Audit Office.
A report published today said the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) was unable to fully demonstrate the impact of its Homelessness Strategy 2012/17, which is monitored by the Department for Communities (DfC).
And it added that the NIHE “has been slow to adopt” preventative approaches to reducing homelessness, although it noted that its new Homelessness Strategy for 2017/22 places greater emphasis on prevention.
Homelessness in Northern Ireland cost the public purse around £300m over that period – while the number of households designated as statutory homeless increased by 32%.
Nearly 12,000 households were accepted as homeless in the region in 2016/17, with the rate as a proportion of the population higher than in other parts of the UK.
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The report recommended that the NIHE and DfC need to improve the way they collect data on homelessness in order to better understand the problem and how its strategy is performing.
It also called for a cross-departmental review of what health-related support is needed for homeless households and service providers.
Kieran Donnelly, comptroller auditor general for Northern Ireland, said his team “was particularly struck by the commitment and dedication” of those working with homeless people.
A spokesperson for the NIHE said: “The Housing Executive welcomes the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on homelessness in Northern Ireland.
“Actions to address some of the recommendations within the report are included in our current homelessness strategy Ending Homelessness Together, which was published in April of this year.”
Nicola McCrudden, director of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Northern Ireland, said more resources should be invested in a Housing First model of reducing homelessness.
The CIH published a report today about the effectiveness of Housing First in getting people into stable homes.
