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Homeless Services

If you are homeless, rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness, you need to contact the Local Authority Assessment and Placement Service  by calling into the office directly at Civic Offices, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

Opening Hours:
10am to 12.30 & 14.30 to 16.00 (Monday to Friday)

A new 24 Hour Homeless Helpline 1800 707 707 is in place and can be used to obtain emergency accommodation outside the above office hours. Since the 18th September 2011 the Homeless Nightbus has ended. From this date when you ring the Freephone on 1800 707 707 you may be placed into temporary accommodation for up to 7 nights. The Freephone will advise you on the location of the accommodation and will give you directions to get there. This information will be provided in English, Polish and Russian.

If you are placed in accommodation through the Freephone you will be directed to your Local Authority for further assessment and placement.

Homeless Persons’ Unit

The function of The Homeless Persons’ Unit has changed. However, it will still continue to provide payments under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme and offer advice on your social welfare entitlements by calling to the office directly at

41 Castle Street, Dublin 2 (women and families) or 212-213 Oisin House, Pearse Street, Dublin 2 (men) or by calling 1800 724 724. Please Note: It will not place you in temporary accommodation.

Homeless Assessment & Placement

If you are aged over 18 years, or if you are a family, you need to contact the Assessment and Placement Service for temporary accommodation and the Homeless Persons’ Unit (HPU) for payments under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme.

What service does the Assessment and Placement Service provide?

This is a specialised service available that provides information and advice and an initial contact assessment to place you into temporary accommodation. The service will organise temporary accommodation for you, if you have nowhere else to stay and will assign you a Housing Officer, who will work with you to put in place more long-term accommodation options.

Who provides the Assessment and Placement Service?

This Assessment and Placement Service is provided by Fingal County Council If you have a local connection to one of the other local authority areas in Dublin, you must present directly to that local authority

A ‘local connection’ means if you are from the area or your last permanent address was in the area.

What do I need to bring with me?

You will need to bring a form of identification including a birth certificate, passport etc.

What does the initial assessment involve?

Establishing identity.
Establishing housing history - confirming where you last lived and when,particularly your last permanent address.
Ensuring that you are registered with a local authority.


Am I entitled to temporary accommodation?
To help decide whether the local authority has a duty to find temporary accommodation or long-term housing for you, the Housing Officer will look at whether you:

  • Are homeless or are likely to be homeless?
  • Have a priority need for temporary accommodation/access to housing.
  • Have a local connection with the Dublin area- if you are registered as homeless with any of the four Dublin local authority areas.
  • While the local authority is considering your situation, temporary accommodation will be provided if you have nowhere else to stay.
  • Who does the local authority understand to be homeless and who is eligible for accommodation?
  • If you have nowhere to stay on the day you present to the Local Authority Assessment and Placement Service.
  • If you have been staying in a place but have no right to remain there.
  • If you have somewhere to stay but are at risk of harm if you remain there.
  • If you cannot pay for any accommodation for yourself.

The local authority cannot provide permanent accommodation immediately, but if a person is considered homeless, they have a duty to arrange temporary accommodation until a more long-term accommodation solution can be put in place.

I am not from Ireland, can I still access this service?

If you are a non-Irish national, which includes Asylum Seekers, Refugees and persons from EU Accession countries, you have the option of going to the following office: HPU Office, 77 Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. 10am - 11.30am and 2pm to 3.30pm (Monday to Friday) or Telephone 01- 858 5100.

This service will check if you are eligible to claim for mainstream Social Welfare Payments.

If you are aged under 18 year:

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility to respond to your needs if you are homeless and aged under 18 years. A social worker with the HSE will help you. If you become homeless or are at risk of homelessness, go to your local area health office.

If after 5pm (i.e. the local area health office is closed), go to the local Garda Station and the Gardaí will contact the on-duty Social Worker for the HSE Area so that emergency accommodation can be arranged.