AQW 6286/16-21

Mr Roy Beggs
Ulster Unionist Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 26/10/2016
Answered On Date: 09/11/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline what measures are in place to assist homeless people with (i) an alcohol; or (ii) a drug addiction.

Answer:

The Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (as amended) places a statutory duty on the Housing Executive to provide interim and/or permanent accommodation for certain homeless households, dependent upon assessment of their circumstances.

The Housing Executive has advised that it currently funds £3.8 million annually for the delivery of services specifically for people with alcohol and drug related problems. This comprises 12 accommodation based services and four floating support services which currently have the capacity to provide housing support to approximately 400 individuals.

The Housing Executive also provides funding of £10.9 million to providers of some 46 accommodation and floating support schemes. These are for single homeless clients across Northern Ireland requiring varying levels of support. A number of these schemes also provide support to clients with complex drug or alcohol addiction issues.

Statutory responsibility for the treatment of people with drug and alcohol addictions rests with Health and Social Care.