The Simon Community has called on the Government to stick to its pledge to end the homeless crisis by 2010.
Saying that it will take at least two years to complete the roll-out of measures required to fulfil this pledge, it claims Budget 2008 is in effect the final and critical chance to fulful the pledge.
The Simon Community has issued its forecast on what should be done to meet the target date of ensuring that homeless people do not need to sleep rough.
The organisation's Chief Executive, Patrick Burke, says that in a time of economic uncertainty it is important that the needs of the homeless remain firmly on the political agenda.
According to the Simon Community, the need to end long-term homelessness is more pressing than ever because of the current economic climate.
It says that if investment is not sustained over the next 12 months, there is a danger that the number of long-term homeless will actually increase. Saying it is critical that any Budget expenditure cuts do not impact on the most vulnerable groups in society.
According to Simon, one of the key steps towards providing better move-on options is the provision of more social housing units. The organisation called on the Government to invest €2.5bn in new social housing units over the coming year, and to allocate a significant proportion to people progressing out of homelessness.
