Record 13,500 people living in emergency accommodation in November

Kenneth Fox

More than 13,500 people were living in emergency accommodation in November – a new record homeless figure.

It includes more than 4,000 children for the first time in the history of the State.

The Department of Housing released its November homeless figures, showing there was a total of 13,514 people living in emergency accommodation in November.

Dublin has the largest proportion of those in emergency accommodation at 9,906, which includes more than 3,100 children.

The figures do not include asylum seekers, women in refuge centres, rough sleepers or the so-called 'hidden homeless'.

A total of 65 per cent of adults in homelessness were single, while 4,989 (53 per cent) were aged 25-44.

Following the latested figures, charities have urged the Government to take action in the face of “shocking” rates of homelessness.

Focus Ireland chief executive Pat Dennigan said not only were there more children homeless than ever, but more of them had been homeless for longer.

Mr Dennigan said 2024 “must be the year the Government makes a different approach to homelessness”, urging policymakers to focus on people who have been homeless for longest time.

'Entirely achievable objective'

He said the Government should respond to the high numbers of people in emergency accommodation and the increase in asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Ireland by “maximising the number of long-term homeless households moving out of homeless accommodation and into their own home”.

Mr Dennigan said this would free up emergency accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees.

“This is an entirely achievable objective. In the last two years, more social housing has been delivered than for many years, but we are not using this resource to its best effect in reducing homelessness.

“If a fairer share of new social housing was allocated to those who have been homeless for long periods, we could reduce the harm caused by homelessness and ensure there was enough temporary accommodation for those who need this form of support.”

Wayne Stanley, executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said the current level of homelessness was “a preventable trauma”.

“Addressing the current homelessness crisis will require Government to work with local authorities to ensure more secure affordable homes are made available to those in homelessness and that we see increased delivery of social housing in the years ahead,” Mr Stanley said.

Social Democrats housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan added that since Darragh O’Brien became Minister for Housing almost four years ago, the number of people living in emergency accommodation “has shot up by 55 per cent”.

“Shamefully, the number of children growing up without a home has also increased by 55 per cent.

“The government is in a state of paralysis when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis. Its final year in office will be tainted by unprecedented levels of child homelessness and a generation locked out of home-ownership,” Mr O’Callaghan said.