Homelessness can affect anyone in society. Contrary to popular belief, it is not restricted to people who sleep rough. Many households, recorded in official statistics as homeless, are living somewhere that it is not suitable for them. Other households, not included in the statistics or visible on the streets, are the hidden homeless who may be squatting or sharing with friends. 

Homelessness is also often linked to mental health problems, drug and alcohol dependencies, street lifestyles and institutional experiences including prison and the care system. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has statutory responsibility for dealing with homelessness but other government departments and public sector organizations also have a role to play. A household seeking help from NIHE can only be accepted as statutory homeless upon meeting certain criteria set out in legislation.

NIHE is required to publish a Homelessness Strategy every five years which sets out, among other things, how it intends to prevent homelessness, provide sufficient accommodation and advice and assistance. In April 2012 the Strategy for 2012-17 was published with a vision to eliminate long term homelessness and rough sleeping across Northern Ireland by 2020.

In Part One the report considers the scale and nature of homelessness in Northern Ireland. In Part Two, it examines how progress in delivering the Homelessness Strategy 2012-17 was monitored and reported. In Part Three, it provides an overview of the measures aimed at preventing homelessness and the arrangements to deal with households accepted as statutory homeless. In Part Four it looks at the nature and extent of joined-up working across Departments, other public sector bodies and the third sector in Northern Ireland.