Record homelessness figures in Cork should be a 'wake-up call' for new Government 

News that the latest homelessness figures show a record high of 611 adults in emergency accommodation in Cork in January should be a “wake-up call” for the new Government.

The figures in the Department of Housing’s monthly homelessness report mark a 13% increase over 12 months, and are up 3% on the 591 adults in emergency accommodation in Cork in December.

Speaking to The Echo, Paul Sheehan from the Cork Simon Community said the latest figures were very disappointing.

“We’re coming into a new year, and we have over 600 adults with nowhere to call home and very little chance of finding a way out of homelessness very quickly,” he said.

“We have got a new Government in place, and these figures should be a wake-up call to make addressing homelessness their absolute top priority.”

The homelessness figures show that, in the last week of January, there were 663 adults in emergency accommodation in Cork and Kerry.

That represents a 14% increase on the January 2024 figures, when there were 584 adults in emergency accommodation in Cork and Kerry.

The region had 96 families with 199 children in emergency accommodation in January.

Nationally, homelessness figures hit a record high, with 15,286 people homeless at the end of January — 4,603 of them children.

Mr Sheehan said Cork Simon’s emergency shelter on Anderson’s Quay was currently “packed to the rafters”, accommodating about 76 people every night.

“That’s the highest it’s ever accommodated,” he said. “We’ve just found as many spare places as we possibly can. It’s not ideal, it’s not a place to be stuck long-term, but it’s certainly a better alternative than the street.

“But it gives very little scope for people to work on the issues that pushed them into homelessness in the first place, and we’re just seeing the number of people in long-term homelessness now increase, and they’re at record numbers as well.”

Reacting to the new data, Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central, said the figures represented “a dark day” for the State.

“There are hundreds... living in hotels and emergency accommodation across Cork and Kerry,” he said.

“Shame on this Government. They are traumatising people, they are stripping them of opportunities and they are offering no solutions.”

Pádraig Rice, Social Democrats TD for Cork South-Central, said the Government must immediately develop a family homelessness strategy and reintroduce a no-fault eviction ban.

“Homelessness is a human tragedy,” he said.

“It should not be tolerated in any properly functioning society.”

John Maher, Labour Party councillor for the city’s North East ward, said the figures proved the need for a radical reset in housing policy.

“That means a commitment to large-scale, State-led construction of social and affordable homes on public land, as well as stronger protections for renters to give people security and peace of mind,” he said.

This article was corrected on March 5. An earlier version stated that Cork and Kerry had 199 families with 96 children in emergency accommodation in January.