<p>
	Central facility will house 70 families who are staying in 21 hotels across the capital</p>
<p>
	Emergency places for homeless families in 21 hotels across Dublin are set to be transferred to a central facility after negotiations between Dublin City Council and Nama.</p>
<p>
	The council is to acquire a Nama-controlled hotel which will provide a minimum of 70 places for families living for months in hotels.</p>
<p>
	It is not yet known which hotel will be taken over by the council.</p>
<p>
	The new facility is being referred to by the council as a homeless &ldquo;assessment centre&rdquo; to &ldquo;fast-track&rdquo; families out of hotels and into long-term accommodation.</p>
<p>
	At the end of last month, 150 families with 311 children were living in hotels in the Dublin area. They were moved in as an emergency measure after contacting homeless services.</p>
<p>
	Crisis levels<br />
	The council said it acknowledges the use of hotels is not sustainable and represents the &ldquo;least cost-effective emergency response measure&rdquo; for dealing with homelessness.</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;The use of commercial hotels at circa 21 different locations has also proved unviable in undertaking assessments of need and providing necessary support to families,&rdquo; it said.<br />
	The council is short of at least &euro;6 million this year needed to cope with the &ldquo;crisis-level demand&rdquo; for homeless emergency beds.</p>
<p>
	In its 2014 budget, it set aside &euro;750,000 for hotel rooms, but it expects the bill to exceed &euro;4 million for the year.</p>
<p>
	It has also committed to providing 80 more beds for rough sleepers by the end of September. This will cost about &euro;2.5 million the council said it does not have. Council management intends to seek 90 per cent of the shortfall from central Government.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/dublin-council-to-acquire-nama-hotel-for-homeless-families-1.1859843">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/dublin-council-to-acquire-nama-hotel-for-homeless-families-1.1859843</a></p>
