PAC slams Northern Ireland’s record on care for the homeless

Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) failed the homeless
because it was too complacent, according to a House of Commons
Public Accounts Committee report, writes Shirley
Kumar.

Homelessness in Northern Ireland has risen 50 per cent since 1999
making it the highest in the UK. There were “some
extraordinarily insensitive mismatches between homeless
persons’ special needs and the accommodation provided,”
revealed the report.

Families and others were forced to spend on average 97 days in
B&Bs – three times the Government’s target.
“This shows a disturbing degree of complacency about meeting
statutory duty towards some of the most vulnerable people of
society,” the report says.

NIHE has now vowed to make homelessness a priority and is
benchmarking its performance against other housing services. A
homelessness management information system introduced in September
2003 will also allow it to implement and monitor measures from its
homelessness strategy.

Housing the Homeless Report:
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmpubacc.htm#reports.