This research evaluates the responses of the eight Simon Communities in the Irish Republic to the challenges posed by COVID-19 from the point of view of the Simon Communities and of key statutory (Local Authority and Health Service Executive) respondents, across the eight regions in which Simon operates, during the ‘first wave’ or early phase of the pandemic in the period March – August 2020.

In general, temporary mitigation measures proposed by the HSE to address the pandemic challenges amongst the homeless population comprise:

• prevention (hygiene, social distancing),
• testing – both outreach (on the streets) and inreach (in homeless accommodation)
• provision of dedicated accommodation for self-isolation/quarantine, a decreasing of density in existing emergency hostels (so that 1 person per room would be the norm), provision of extra emergency accommodation and an enhanced effort to get rough sleepers into such accommodation.
• Special provision for people who use drugs or are on drug maintenance programs: a fast tracking of enrolment in methadone programs, and ‘home delivery’ of methadone for those in isolation / shielding.