Published date:
Gail McGreevy and Stephen Hamilton
Summary: Supporting people who have offended to access suitable and stable accommodation means that they will have a better chance of turning their lives around, reducing reoffending and making our communities safer. Northern Ireland is facing significant challenges in the provision of housing for the general population. Over the past decade, the social housing waiting list has been growing, outstripping the supply of available housing.
There has been a significant rise in the number of households with homelessness status and the need for temporary accommodation is increasing every month. In 2023, the number of new homes completed locally fell to its lowest level in more than 64 years, causing a housing supply crisis. Research indicates that those who have offended face even more difficulty in accessing accommodation (van Tongeren, 2022).
Many of those who enter custody lose their homes, and there may be a breakdown in family and community relationships. High numbers of those who have offended also experience poor mental health, addictions and trauma.
The stigmatisation and exclusion experienced by offenders, as well as the need for effective risk-management plans to be put in place, can lead to challenges in accessing suitable accommodation (McCarthy and Hagan, 2024). In seeking to address this issue, the PBNI focused on analysis of data in respect of the specific issues faced by its service-users.
This paper outlines the findings of a survey conducted with Probation Officers in respect of the accommodation needs of their service-users and outlines organisational actions taken as a result of the findings of this survey.