How Simon Works
How does Dublin Simon Community respond to homelessness?
We have developed a “continuum of care” programme in response to the problem of homelessness. To a person who has no home, we offer a range of services:
- Contacting rough sleepers
- Emergency Shelter
- Supported Housing/ transitional housing
- Training and employment
- Resettlement
- Alcohol detox and rehab units are available where necessary.
- Tenancy Sustainment services to help prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place by helping them to access appropriate services to enable them to maintain their current tenancy (home).
Read more about these services.
At a broader level, we try to challenge Irish society to accept responsibility for tackling the root causes of homelessness and for designing long-term strategies for its elimination.
The Simon Approach
Community:
Dublin Simon Community attempts to create and develop a sense of community based on respect for the dignity of the individual. Simon seeks to narrow the gap between “the helper” and “the helped”. The dynamic of community with its potential for human growth benefits both residents and volunteers.
Acceptance:
Accepting people as they are and not as we would like them to be is an integral part of the Simon approach. Simon’s function is to facilitate and encourage social adjustment from within, rather than the imposition of standards from above.
Long-Term Care:
We are committed to providing long-term care for many of our residents. Certain Dublin Simon Community projects are designed specifically to provide long-term care and support.
Campaigning:
Practical caring is an essential part of the work of the Dublin Simon Community. Just as important is its role in alerting the public and the authorities to the existence and the consequences of homelessness. Caring and campaigning are closely linked. Because it believes that long-term homelessness is avoidable, Simon campaigns for changes in official policy and for new legislation.
Dublin Simon Community’s educational and campaigning activities include:
- Publishing regular reports on homelessness as well as information on the work of Simon.
- Making submissions to Government and statutory authorities.
- Speaking to schools, community and professional groups about homelessness.
- Co-operating with other voluntary groups in lobbying for more enlightened public policy on specific issues.
Following a long campaign by Dublin Simon Community and other voluntary organisations, a Housing Act was passed in 1988, and came into operation in 1989. This legislation established the right of access to housing for homeless people. We are still campaigning for people to have a constitutional right to housing.
Homelessness is a condition of exclusion from the usual ways of living we often take for granted. Dublin Simon Community has always maintained that much homelessness could be eliminated by a change in the legislation, the policies and the practices which have contributed to its creation.
Dublin Simon Community as an Organisation.
We are one of a number of voluntary groups working with the homeless. There are now 8 Simon Communities in Ireland; in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, Midlands, Mid West, North West, South East. While each Simon Community is independent; all communities work very closely together and form a national body with a national office in Dublin.
The Simon Communities of Ireland National Strategy 2006 – 2009 published in 2006 is entitled Ending Homelessness, Creating Homes. By an end to homelessness we mean that:
- No one will have to sleep rough because of a lack of appropriate services
- No one will have to live in emergency accommodation for longer than is an emergency
- No one will become homeless due to a lack of services or inadequate housing provision
The Simon Communities of Ireland have joined together with Focus Ireland, Threshold and Society of St. Vincent De Paul in a partnership to campaign and advocate for an end to Homelessness – The campaign is called Make Room and is a web based campaign asking individuals and organisations to sign up to commit themselves to ending homelessness by 2010.
School Speakers
Dublin Simon Community has a dedicated school speaker and an informative dvd to help students understand homelessness, its causes and consequences. Invite them to your school » »
