Homelessness a 'pressing concern' as figures hit new high

A Cork TD has suggested that local authorities in the city and county should be able to turn around vacant council homes within 16 weeks, in order to ensure that the rising number of people depending on emergency accommodation are housed as a matter of urgency.

Cork North Central Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould was speaking to The Echo after the publication of the July homelessness figures today, indicating that there were now 14,429 people nationwide living in emergency accommodation, with 553 of these in Cork. This is up from the June figure of 546 adults living in homelessness in the city and county.

The number of homeless children in Cork was recorded at 183 in the latest figures, this was down just one from the June figure of 184. The total number of children living in homelessness nationally is 4,401, according to the figures released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

According to Mr Gould, there are hundreds of houses belonging to the councils that are boarded up.

“The minute a council house becomes empty and the keys are handed back, that should be turned around within three to four months, 16 weeks,” he said.

“There should be a dedicated team inside each local authority and their job would be to go in and carry out the necessary works once the keys are handed in and then compile a report, send it to Dublin, and get the money back from the Government.”

Caitriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners described homelessness as a “pressing concern”, and said it should be addressed with “compassion and urgency”.

“Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home,” she said. “An all-out effort by the Government, along with community support, can make a significant difference. It’s vital to provide not only immediate relief but also long-term solutions that focus on prevention and sustained support for those at risk.”

According to Social Democrats councillor Padraig Rice, the latest figures were evidence that the Government’s housing policies had “utterly failed”.

Mr Rice, also the party’s Cork South Central general election candidate, said: “Homelessness isn’t inevitable. There are solutions. We should follow the Finnish ‘Housing First’ model that focuses on providing people with homes and wrap-around support. We also have to stop people becoming homeless in the first place by ending no-fault evictions that are pushing families into homelessness.

“Cork City Council must also build more social and affordable homes.”