Dublin Simon Community Response to Budget 2026 

Dublin Simon Community broadly welcomes allocations of resources to homeless, housing and health programmes but is concerned on where the focus lies. 

The charity recognises the increased spend on health resources with additional resources committed to mental health and aims to enhance drugs and inclusion health services to address gaps in service provision and expand treatment facilities. However, it has called for clarity on details regarding community-based treatment facilities, as it is waiting on funding, committed to by the Department of Health and HSE, for 37 treatment beds that remain idle at its Usher’s Island Health and Addiction Care Facility. Immediate funding is required and along with the multi-annual funding from 2026 onwards. The service is essential in ensuring the homeless population has the access to the healthcare it needs. 

Dublin Simon acknowledges the increased homelessness budget for 2026 – an increase of €235.5 million on the 2025 budget as part of an overall increase in spending in the provision of housing. This additional funding is undoubtedly necessary. Given the specific resource requirements for homelessness, the Government must ensure that this funding is focused on the right solutions – ones that will ultimately end homelessness. At a national and local level, the Government has to invest more in preventing homelessness in the first place, while also ensuring that those experiencing it are provided with tailored, professional support to expedite a sustainable move-on to their forever home. 2026 simply cannot be another year of spiralling numbers in need of emergency accommodation, unaffordable rent and inadequate housing supply.  

Dublin Simon has advocated for homelessness to be a core pillar of the new national housing plan and is awaiting the publication of that detail in the coming weeks. There can be no housing plan without targeted and well-resourced measures for those most affected by the crisis. The increased investment in housing is welcome, particularly the increased allocation for new-build social homes and second-hand acquisitions. Investment in housing initiatives and infrastructure is essential to provide much-needed social, affordable and cost-rental homes. Broadened measures announced in the Budget intended to tackle vacancy was an ask of Dublin Simon. Finding solutions to increase the nation’s housing stock is of paramount importance at a time when thousands are without a place to call home. While many houses need to be built to address this crisis, the charity hopes that initiatives targeting existing buildings will ensure that the diversity, quality and location of housing stock is not overlooked when focused on increasing volume.  

Last year, the charity conducted research in examining the opportunities and challenges of vacant above the shop units (VATSU) for residential use. The report found that although challenging, these units could provide a valuable source of housing, revitalise urban locations and effectively conserve heritage buildings across Ireland.  

Providing the necessary resources to operate the Usher’s Island Health and Addiction Care facility at full capacity is essential. When given this funding, the first-of-its-kind facility will enable Dublin Simon Community to support between 1,200 and 1,400 adults annually. This will further reduce the demand for hospital emergency department beds, shorten hospital stays, and free up outpatient appointment slots. These services will not only alleviate pressure on public hospitals but will also generate substantial savings by reducing the overall burden on the healthcare system.