Homelessness

The Housing Executive and the regional Health and Social Care Trusts have agreed on good practice guidance for assisting homeless young people.  The guidance, signed off earlier this year, is an attempt to ensure that young people in crisis receive the assistance they need as quickly as possible.  Agencies who provide advice to young people should ensure that they know which agency is responsible for assisting young people in crisis.  

Our Beyond the Gate project aims to prevent homelessness amongst people leaving prison by ensuring that they have all the necessary support to aid their transition back into independent living.  Caoimhe, a support worker with Beyond the Gate discusses a recent success story.  The client’s name has been changed.

Crisis has released a report into the costs of single homelessness in the UK.   The report finds that preventing homelessness is a much more cost effective approach than dealing with the social issues associated with homelessness.

Applicants who wish to review or appeal a negative homelessness decision must observe certain time limits.  These limits are set out in the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (as amended). Carmel Ferguson, solicitor with Housing Rights Service, discusses our recent successful case at the High Court, where we were granted leave to lodge an appeal outside of these time limits.