Advocate warns of 'acceptance' of homelessness as Cork numbers hit new high
Homelessness charity Depaul has increased funding for homelessness services focusing on mental health and addiction, including a national network of specific mental health services for those in temporary accommodation.
Homelessness in Cork has hit another stark new record high, with sharp increases in the number of children in emergency accommodation.
A total of 851 adults were in emergency accommodation in August, new data released by the government shows.
This is up more than 28% since August 2025, when the figure was 663, and is nearly a 4% increase from July when the government reported 820 people in Cork without homes.
The latest homelessness report also reveals that in the south-west region, covering Cork and Kerry, there were 157 families with 276 children in emergency accommodation last month.
This marks an increase of 6% from the respective July figures.
It comes as a new report into the joint Good Shepherd Cork and Tusla Family Agency youth club project for children who are homeless was launched this afternoon.
Findings are based on anonymous surveys of 48 children and 33 parents or carers of children who use the Cork city club, and the report is the first time such surveys have been carried out within this vulnerable group.
Asked what support they value most from youth club staff, 65% of children cited simply being listened to ahead of any single-named activity, including the club’s most popular outing.
Some 54% of children and 55% of parents stated separately that children found it easier to make friends since attending the Youth Club.
Dr Niamh Sheridan, the independent researcher who carried out the evaluation, also found that 61% of parents surveyed said the club “gives me a break,” and 42% described being able to privately process their own emotions during that time.
Children aged 10 to 13 accounted for all of the more critical feedback recorded in the survey, citing overcrowding, repetitive programming and a lack of same-age peers.
Geraldine Grant, director of service development at Good Shepherd Cork, said: “As more families are spending longer periods in emergency accommodation, these findings show the importance of building trusting relationships.
The report’s authors recommend that dedicated, age-appropriate provision be developed for older children, and called for continuity in staffing and that the way the club supports parents be recognised and funded in its own right.
Homelessness charity Depaul has increased funding for homelessness services focusing on mental health and addiction, including a national network of specific mental health services for those in temporary accommodation.
David Carroll, chief executive of Depaul, said of the monthly figures: “There is a tangible frustration among those working on the frontline – at what is starting to feel like an acceptance and business as usual attitude by those with the responsibility and power to bring about change.
“We believe to truly end homelessness, we must combine increased housing supply with the mental health, addiction and community supports people need to build stable lives and become part of thriving communities.
“Without bold and immediate action in Budget 2027, homelessness will deepen further and thousands more people will be locked into cycles of crisis.”
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