Number of Cork adults in emergency accommodation reaches record high

There were 736 Cork adults in emergency accommodation in November, another record and a jump of 24 from the previous month, government figures show.

The latest number represents a 25% increase from 589 in November 2024, with the monthly total passing the 600 mark for the first time in January of 2025.

The last few months have seen particularly high monthly increases, with the figures also going from 675 in September to 712 in October, with the November figure amounting to a 9% rise in just two months.

In total, 799 adults are homeless across the South West, covering Cork and Kerry, 522 of them male and 277 female. This includes 113 families comprising 177 adults and 233 children.

It comes as The Echo recently revealed that 93 families in Cork City would spend Christmas 2025 in emergency accommodation.

Of the families, 67 spent their first Christmas in emergency accommodation, 21 their second, three their third, and two their fourth or more without a home.

Additionally, 307 single adults spent Christmas in emergency accommodation for the first time, 131 for the second, 33 for the third, and 25 for their fourth or more.

Heartbreaking

Focus Ireland’s head of media communications, Roughan MacNamara, described the situation as “heartbreaking”.

“Children who are homeless are having their childhoods stolen one day at a time. This is wrong and we can — and must — end this human crisis.”

Mr MacNamara stressed that the new year should be a time of hope, calling for urgent action to help those in emergency accommodation, particularly children.

"We need to see urgent action such as steps to fast-track delivery of more one and four-bedroom homes to speed up exits from homelessness for families and individuals, alongside prioritising new social housing for those most in need.”

Commenting on the Government’s Delivering homes, building communities 2025-2030 plan, he said that while Focus Ireland welcomed the strategy, its success would be measured by tangible results, not promises, stressing the need for deadlines and milestones.