Concerned with the increasing housing need and problem of access to appropriate and secure accommodation for all people, the four voluntary organisations, Focus Ireland, Simon Communities of Ireland, Society of St Vincent de Paul and Threshold came together to carry out a major research project, the first of its kind, analysing the Homeless Action Plans and Housing Strategies. The research examined the 33 housing strategies and 20 homeless action plans available as of June 2002, emphasising what these documents revealed about the housing and accommodation problems faced by disadvantaged social groups and the policies proposed in response.