Cork charities: Budget 'is all about human dignity’

AS MORE than 16,000 people across the country are facing the impacts of the housing crisis, homelessness is at the forefront of discussions as we approach the announcement of Budget 2026.

According to the Department of Housing, there were 16,353 adults and more than 5,100 children living in emergency accommodation nationwide at the end of August, with 679 of those adults living in emergency accommodation in Cork.

This represents a 24% increase in the number of people living in emergency accommodation across Cork when compared to the same time period of 2024, when the figure was 547.

The figures additionally showed that there were 105 homeless families in the South West region, covering Cork and Kerry, marking a 15% increase on the number of families in emergency accommodation for the same time period of last year, when 91 families were recorded as homeless within the region.

Of those families across Cork and Kerry, 228 children were recorded as living in emergency accommodation, representing a 27% increase on last August, when the figure was 179.

‘STRETCHED BUDGETS’

Speaking to The Echo, Caitriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners said that she hopes to see improved measures introduced in Budget 2026 to safeguard those who are at risk of homelessness, and for those who are living in emergency accommodation.

“I believe tackling root causes would make for better budgets,” said Ms Twomey.

“The relentless rise in the cost of living is pushing countless people to the brink.

“It is unacceptable that so many are forced to rely on charity just to survive.

“The Government must act decisively, wages and social welfare support must be increased urgently to reflect today’s harsh realities,” she added.

“Skyrocketing prices on basic necessities like food, rents, mortgages detergents, clothes , fuel and school costs are hitting families hardest, cutting deep into already stretched budgets.

“All services need more funding, all children need school places, all minimum wage workers, our elderly, our sick, need support.

“Mental health needs support too, and all of our 16,000 plus homeless need homes.

“This is not just about economics, this is all about human dignity,” said Ms Twomey.

“We cannot allow more people to be driven into hardship while essential costs soar unchecked.

“Immediate, bold action is needed to protect the most vulnerable and to ensure a fair and just society for all.”

Figures published recently by the Real Estate Alliance show that the average cost of buying a home across the county has risen by 2.4% over the last three months.

The figures, published following a survey conducted by the agency, show that the average price of a second-hand, three-bed semi in Cork city has risen by 1.2%, to €405,000, alongside a 2.4% increase for a similar property in Cork county, to €243,562.

The data, using the Q3 REA Average House Price Index, additionally showed that the average time taken to sell a home in Cork county is five weeks, and four weeks in Cork city.

Hazel Dennehy of Cork’s Street Angels said that the organisation is looking for investment into tangible supports for those who are homeless as “nobody should be sleeping outside in 2025”.

“With the upcoming budget looming, the government is said to have a greater focus on housing and infrastructure,” said Ms Dennehy.

“Presently the need for housing, is escalating, and those who find themselves homeless, often to a lack of housing, should be given priority — especially people with a young family.

“The enormous amounts of boarded council houses and buildings that are left to go into rapid decay needs to be addressed.

“It is imperative, that the budget addresses the need for more beds within the homeless sector, and more staff allotted to the mental health sector, as well as additional beds within rehabilitation centres.

“Nobody should be sleeping outside in 2025,” she added.

“We don’t have enough rehabs — [they] would give people with addiction and mental health issues a road map into recovery.

“There is nothing there for them to change what they know.

“Cork, being the biggest county in Ireland, has not a lot of help for those people to rely on.

“The government needs to create incentives to assist people out of homelessness, with more programmes on self help, to enable them back into the work force,” said Ms Dennehy.

“However, this is not possible due to lack of accommodation — not all people who find themselves homeless have addictions.”

RESTORING PURCHASING POWER

Further, Paul Sheehan, who is the campaigns and communications manager at Cork Simon, said that there needs to be “much more investment into homelessness prevention”.

“The signs aren’t great for the winter,” said Mr Sheehan.

“We’ve been focusing our ask of the Government for the budget in three key areas — one obviously being housing, which I think everyone is well-versed in; people are completely locked out of the market.

“And of course, social protection such as rent supports to be kept in line with market rents and also to equalise job-seeker rates, increase the qualified child income and to look at the core working age payments.

“The cost of living increases have to be taken into account.

“There needs to be much more investment into homelessness prevention, and that needs to be an annual increase.

“In the past year, we have seen significant increases in homelessness,” he added.

“Until we are at a point where we can improve housing supply, and make sure housing is affordable, we’re just going to see those numbers increase, there’s no question.

“There should be a minimum €20 increase in social welfare payments, just to restore purchasing power; which is another form of prevention,” said Mr Sheehan.

“We more often than not meet people at our soup run who are spending all of their resources on keeping a roof over their heads, so there’s absolutely nothing left for utilities or food.

“What we’d like to see in Budget 2026 is focus on homelessness; we need to see significant capital investment on social housing and homelessness prevention.

“We need to stop pushing people towards homelessness, and Budget 2026 needs to reflect that.”