Novas Annual Report 2022

Annual Report 2022
the same shelter accommodated and supported just over 80 clients. Moving to
long term-accommodation has become a long term aspiration.
In Dublin we pioneered working with women in women-only emergency
accommodation. Despite increasing our capacity by over 100% in the last eight
years, the number of women moving on fell from 333 to 224.
In these circumstances our staff have the unenviable task of encouraging
and supporting clients to keep their ambitions, keep believing they will
move away from ‘emergency’ accommodations. The focus, resilience and
professionalism of our staff earn unqualified admiration of the Board.
Funding procedures reveal an absence of understanding of the day to day
needs of those who are homeless or the practicalities of providing homeless
services. Sometimes funding for a project is not known until well into the
financial year.
Two decades ago a Government appointed Inter-Departmental Committee
recommended multi annual funding for voluntary homeless agencies (on
a rolling three-year basis). While the government welcomed the report, it
was not acted upon. Multi-annual funding is something the sector, including
NOVAS, continues to advocate for.
We all agree the solution is more housing. The decision to cut capital
expenditure (taken during the financial crisis of 15 years ago) is identified as
the major cause of the current housing shortage. This is only partly correct.
The underlying reason is the absence of public housing for more than three
decades. Housing is a civil right. Developers build houses to make profit,
and that is entirely understandable. However, the state must ensure all its
citizens are adequately housed. We support housing for all. Government must
establish public housing authorities, to plan and construct housing to meet the
needs of all citizens
Ireland is a signatory to the Lisbon Protocol and so has committed to ending
homelessness by 2030. We are very far away from achieving that now. A lot
more needs to be done if we are going to reach this target.
Greg Maxwell
Chairperson
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