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Homelessness is more than being without a roof or a house

Homelessness is about a lack of security, lack of belonging, lack of privacy and lack of safety. People sleeping out in doorways, parks, in derelict sites and in abandoned cars experience the most extreme form of homelessness. On any given night, there are up to 90 people sleeping rough in the Dublin area.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The 'invisible' homeless, people who live in emergency accommodation; in shelters, hostels, refuges, in B&Bs or double share with friends and relatives, make up about 20 times the number of people sleeping rough. They are also in need and equally without a home.

Over 2,000 people are homeless in the Greater Dublin Area

The official count of 2005, including those sleeping rough, found more than 2,000 adults were homeless in Dublin, including 1,361 households. In addition, 346 households, including single people and families, were accommodated in transitional programmes.

Being Homeless means ....

   * Having no home.
   * Not having shelter or a place where you can feel settled.
   * Not having neighbours, or local shops, not being part of a community.
   * Not having your own bedclothes or furniture, or anywhere safe to keep things that are important to you.
   * Not having anywhere for your children to play.
   * Not having a place where you can be yourself.

Last year people became homeless because of... Poverty

Poverty is the main factor causing people to become homeless. While economic growth in Ireland has created rising incomes for some, the overwhelming number of people in contact with Dublin Simon are financially destitute. Housing shortages

The housing crisis continues to impact most severely on those with low or no incomes. The lack of safe, appropriate and permanent social housing, particularly for single homeless people, is a major factor contributing to homelessness. High Cost of Private Rented Accommodation

The high cost of private rented accommodation is another cause of homelessness. In addition, families with children or people who are dependent on rent allowance often have trouble getting landlords to accept them as tenants. Relationship breakdown

The immediate cause of homelessness is often a relationship breakdown - irreconcilable personal differences, family violence, sexual abuse, rejection, or parents who are unable to care. Mental Health Difficulties

Many people in contact with Dublin Simon's Rough Sleeper Team have mental health difficulties, ranging from depression to severe psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. The lack of availability of appropriate mental health services means that many of their needs have not been addressed Leaving care or prison

Long-term life events such as experience of the care system or prison can also lead to homelessness. Addiction problems

Substance abuse is also a factor. Dublin Simon's Emergency Shelter has a number of residents who have problems with alcohol use, and some who have drug use problems What Dublin Simon Community does to help

Dublin Simon Community is involved in delivering both emergency responses and longer-term solutions to homelessness. We try to respond quickly to people's needs to prevent them from getting trapped in the cycle of homelessness, which can be very difficult to break out of. The underlying approach is to provide a continuum of care to support people to move out of homelessness and into settled accommodation as speedily as possible. Breaking the cycle of homelessness is at the heart of what we do.

Dublin Simon Community provides the following services to people who are homeless:

   * Our Rough Sleeper Team make contact with people on the streets and provide access to emergency accommodation.
   * Dublin Simon's Emergency Shelter provides emergency accommodation, respite and support for people who are homeless.
   * Resettlement and Training assists people living in Simon temporary accommodation to develop skills for independent living.
   * Transitional Housing provides self-contained accommodation and a high level of support to assist people to move into settled accommodation.
   * Supported Housing provides housing, mostly for older people who do not have the capacity to live independently.