|
Accommodation Policy Update
In this update:
- Save the date for upcoming events
- Expert Review Programme Board update
- Meeting with Peter Burke, junior minister with responsibility for Traveller Accommodation
- Housing Commission consultation on Housing Referendum - Open!
- NTACC update
- Raise the Roof
- Hellos and goodbyes
- Traveller accommodation expenditure 2022
- Housing Commission Conference
- Recent relevant media and reports
Please keep in touch if you have any events or updates you would like circulated to all members!
|
|
Save the Date!
Accommodation Working Group
Meeting
Thursday the 28th of July at 11am
on Zoom, with a focus on the midterm review
We would love to have you there!
_______________________________________
Irish Traveller Movement & Uplift
AWG Campaign Strategy Day!
September 2022
We are very excited to announce that, with funding from Saint Stephen's Green Trust the Accommodation Working Group, will be partnering with Uplift to work on a collective campaign! We hope everyone can be part of this.
Date to be confirmed!
|
|
|
Accommodation Working Group Meeting
|
|
|
Thank you to everyone who attended the last AWG meeting on the 23rd of June! Some of the key takeaway points from the meeting were:
- desire within AWG for more direct engagement with NTACC and other national structures
- desire for collective campaign work (see update above)
- need for more campaigning for increased resources for local Traveller organisations to work on accommodation issues
- local organisations would like more information on the process of how local authorities apply and receive funding for Traveller accommodation
|
|
|
|
Meeting with Peter Burke, junior minister with responsibility for Traveller accommodation, 29th June
- We raised the issue of the exclusion of some Travellers from the electricity credit scheme, where they do not have a separate account per household. He is following up on this with and it will be a priority area for the next NTACC meeting on the 18th of July. If you have examples of this from your area please reply to this email.
- Bridget (NTWF) and Bernard (ITM) also raised the need for a plan to progress the Expert Review recommendation to repeal the criminal trespass legislation and Minister Burke will meet with Minister Helen McIntee on this.
- Minister Burke also committed to more site visits across the country throughout the year.
|
|
|
|
Expert Review Programme Board Update
6 of the 32 recommendations have been completed in full, including the recent introduction of a Traveller identifier question in the Social Housing Needs Assessment to fully capture level of need and LA's response.
Full progress report available here
Key updates from June meeting
There was a presentation on the Social Housing Needs Assessment. There was a discussion the importance of the new Traveller identifier question which has been introduced on the form. This will lead to useful and more reliable data. It was noted that there will need to be an awareness campaign to encourage Travellers to self-identify within social housing and assessment of needs.
Terms of reference have been drawn up and agreed by the Housing Agency for review of Design and Management and Maintenance Guidelines for Traveller accommodation.
National Traveller Accommodation Authority - a process is underway and a draft paper will be developed on what this process will look like and this will be sent to us in mid-September for review and our feedback. We can send feedback and ideas on this to the TASU on this in the meantime.
Planning and Chief Executive Powers - legal advice has been sought by the Traveller Accommodation Support Unit and they will share a draft letter and summary. FLAC Traveller Legal Service is drafting legislation on Part 8 and other planning recommendations and have received independent legal advice from counsel (barristers),
Subgroup has been established for the eviction procedures and a data subgroup will be formed in coming weeks
|
|
|
NTACC Updates
The circular on the Midterm Review will be issued to local authorities shortly. ITM is applying for funding for additional independent monitoring of the reviews and the Traveller Accommodation Programmes.
The national Traveller organisations have been invited to be members of a subgroup of National Homeless Action Committee on child and family homelessness
The NTACC has compiled a fire safety report based on information received from all local authorities. ITM will circulate a synopsis of this report when we have completed an analysis of it.
The Traveller Accommodation Unit intends to roll out the new caravan loan scheme nationally, with a review at the end of 2022. The national Traveller organisations have raised the ongoing concerns with the scheme including; availability of suitable trailers, cost of residential standard trailers and difficulties accessing insurance.
|
|
|
Housing Commission
Public Consultation on a Referendum on Housing in Ireland
The Housing Commission is now seeking submissions relating to the proposed referendum on Housing in Ireland.
The closing date is the 2nd of September and submissions should be under 2500 words.
More information on how to make a submission here
ITM presented at the Housing Commission's conference on a referendum on Housing in Ireland in May.
The inputs from our session Statutory Housing Rights and Discrimination within Housing are available here
|
|
|
|
Raise the Roof
Raise the Roof have relaunched their national campaign through a series of regional meetings. We will continue to send out regular updates and news on the campaign. More information available here
They are bringing a motion forward to the Dáil on the housing crisis later this month, through the opposition parties, which will include reference to Traveller accommodation. We will circulate more information as it is available.
|
|
|
Traveller Accommodation Capital Expenditure
1st of January - 20th of May 2022
Summary: 11 local authorities have not spent any money so far this year
13 local authorities have not spent on capital projects
20 local authorities have not spent on covid related projects
|
|
|
|
Hellos & Goodbyes
We have had to say goodbye to some long term members of the AWG over the last few weeks as they have moved into new roles and opportunities. We want to say a big thank you to Colette Spears (formerly Clondalkin Traveller Development Group), Michelle Kearns (formerly Tallaght Travellers & National Traveller MABS) and Mark Turner (formerly Southside Traveller Action Group) for their dedication and insights. We wish them all the best in their new roles and look forward to meeting their successors
 .
Also, a big welcome to Keith Maughan, who has just started as national Traveller accommodation policy officer with ITM, pictured here getting handed the baton by Rose Marie Maughan, at the recent National Traveller Mental Health Network protest.
|
|
Upcoming Training & Opportunities
Community Law and Mediation Webinar
Heat our Homes, not the Planet
Join them on Wednesday 13th July from 9.30-10.30am to discuss:
- Why energy poverty is accelerating, who is most impacted, and the Government's response to date;
- What is happening on energy poverty at an EU level, and how other countries have successfully tackled energy poverty.
They are delighted to be joined by Issy Petrie, Policy and Research Officer at the Society of St Vincent de Paul, and Clare O'Connor, Energy Policy Officer with Friends of the Earth Ireland.
To register, click here.
_______________________________
Faith and Politics Conference
The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice are having a European Conference on Faith and Politics in VENICE from August 14th -21st and they have asked us to circulate the invitation. The conference is for those aged 20-35 with an interest in faith and public life and social justice. More details available here, or send us a message and we can link you in with the organisers. Bursaries available to help with costs.
|
|
|
Recent Relevant Media & Reports
'Council Reprimanded for Unfairly Changing Family's Housing Record', available here
UL's Irish Travellers' Access to Justice report which examines the relationship between Travellers and the Criminal Justice System, summary available here
'Plans for Headford Road (Galway) Social Housing & Traveller Accommodation Development'. Available here
President Michael D Higgins critical of shortcomings in Traveller accommodation, calling it "immoral, wrong and irresponsible to leave people in the conditions we have left some of our travelling people". Article available here
Threshold's 'We Are Generation Rent' report, available here
'Homeless figures increase for fifth month in a row to 10,325', available here
'Housing Assistance Payment discretion rate to increase by up to 35%', available here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
