On September 11th, the Dublin Simon Community (DSC) released its annual report for 2024. It reveals that the uptake in their homeless services to those homeless on the streets has increased by 25 percent in comparison to the previous year. This would indicate that there are a larger amount of homeless people struggling as a result of the rising cost of living.
The report also highlights the importance of the work undertaken by the organisation. Without these necessary but voluntary services, it is clear that there would be an increase in suffering in Dublin. The year 2024 marked the 55th anniversary of the Soup Run — a nightly service which not only provides soup and food to those who need it but also blankets, advice and someone to talk to. During 2024, the soup and breakfast run came into contact with and helped 16,656 individuals, a testament to how in demand its services are.
The DSC operates a health and addiction care facility for those struggling with addiction. The facility runs on an accommodation first strategy, preventing its users from relapsing into addiction because of precarious and unstable living conditions, exacerbated by the difficulty to find housing in Dublin. Trish, whose story is displayed in the report says, “I had my own bathroom there” and “within an hour I knew I could feel safe there”. This comfortability and structure, designed for recovery, allowed her to go back to college.
This facility in Usher’s Island opened its doors in October 2024 and will be able to support between 1,200 and 1,400 adults annually. This will need sustained financing to maintain its running, and is partly financed by Dublin City Council and the Government.
The report mentions that funding constraints have impacted staffing recruitment and retention and other risks to their governance.
DSC has a service called Client Development which aims to keep in contact and support those it has already supported in the past with further education and training opportunities. Christian shares with the report that “Client Development did more than support me with a path out of addiction; they have helped me to grow in ways I never thought I could”.
According to DSC, the latest figures suggest that over 11,000 people are accessing emergency accommodation and are homeless in Dublin. This does not include the number of rough sleepers on any given night. DSC made 8,382 interactions with individuals on the streets in the year 2024.
On an average night, 1,250 people are provided with a bed by the Dublin Simon Community.
