Depaul’s asks for Budget 2026 include:

1. Housing – at its core homelessness is driven primarily by the lack of access to affordable and suitable social housing. Prioritise increasing funding for Public, Affordable, Social Housing and fund a state-led plan to reverse the over-reliance on temporary accommodation.

2. Mental Health – Increase funding for homelessness services focusing on addiction, drug and alcohol interventions and mental health – with more focus on harm-reduction measures as well as a national network of specific mental health services for those in temporary accommodation.

3. IPAS – Provide more solutions to the critical accommodation crisis in International Protection and Direct Provision. Increased funding provided to the Department of Housing to ensure that those in IP who have secured leave to remain are able to access accommodation on a like for like basis with others.

4. Prioritise a Housing First approach – Accelerate the delivery of supported and independent housing and ensure that healthcare, particularly mental health and addiction services, are embedded and budgeted for within our housing system planning.

5. Staff – Provide adequate and sustainable funding for staff in the voluntary and social sector. That will ensure capacity to both benchmark salaries and index them against public sector contemporaries and any public pay agreements that are negotiated. Ensure that the right affordable public and social housing is built in the right place that meets the needs of the population.

6. Funding – Provide multi-annual funding to the homeless sector that reflects the full cost of service delivery.

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