Consultation on Youth Homelessness Strategy

The Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future' commits to developing a Youth Homelessness Strategy. This commitment is articulated in Housing for All, the Government’s housing plan to 2030.

The aim of this Strategy is to help people who are aged 18 – 24 and who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It is clear that any Youth Homelessness Strategy will require an integrated, whole-of-Government approach, with a multitude of key stakeholders playing a vital role in addressing the fundamental issues arising in addressing youth homelessness. It is also important that a wide range of views can form part of the process in developing the Strategy.

Housing for All also commits to the establishment of a National Homeless Action Committee. In line with this commitment, the National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC) was established in Q4 2021. Members of NHAC include representatives from key Government Departments, statutory bodies and stakeholders. The purpose of NHAC is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to address homelessness. NHAC is chaired by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and meets on a quarterly basis. One of the first main priorities of NHAC is the development of the Youth Homelessness Strategy.

Submissions are welcomed from all interested parties. There are two ways to participate: you can fill in the survey here or you can send in a written submission.

Your submission should be no more than 2,000 words. In your response, you may wish to consider the following questions:

• How do you think the housing needs of young people (age 18-24) differ from those of other age groups?
• What do you believe are the main barriers to young people accessing housing?
• What do you think are the main risk factors that can result in a young person becoming homeless? /What do you consider to be the main risk factors that a young person faces when they are homeless?
• What services and/or initiatives do you think should be introduced to prevent homelessness and/or support young people exiting homelessness?
• What top five priorities should the Youth Homelessness Strategy focus on?

You can send your submission via email to nhac@housing.gov.ie or by post to the Homelessness Policy, Funding and Delivery Section, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6X0.

Closing date for receipt of submissions is close of business, Tuesday 15 March 2022.

All responses received will be considered and will inform the Youth Homelessness Strategy, due to be published Q2 2022. Please note that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage may publish a summary of the submissions received and may also publish anonymised data from the responses received.

All submissions received are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and Data Protection legislation.

Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission and it will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.

Youth Homelessness Strategy