Sophia welcomes the recommendations by the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage published in their Interim Report on Homelessness
Sophia has since its foundation almost 25 years ago seen the solution to homelessness as the provision of permanent homes with wrap around supports. The Joint Committee also recognises this by recommending that the use of Private Emergency Accommodation be quickly phased out and replaced with Supported Temporary Accommodation, Housing First and appropriate long-term housing.
The Joint Committee interim report also recommends that dedicated wrap around supports including social, health and housing supports be provided to users of privately-operated homeless services. This focus on wrap around supports by the Joint Committee is also in line with the Sophia model of care, which has been providing wrap around supports for over two decades, supporting over 1,000 people in 2020.
Sophia, with a number of European Partners is committed to sharing best practices in provided Trauma-Informed Care specific to homeless services, which is also in line with recommendations made by the Joint Committee that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage liaise with local authorities, homeless service providers, and the HSE to ensure the funding and roll out of trauma-informed practice for all those providing frontline supports to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Read the Joint Committee’s full report and recommendations here