Homelessness figures reach record high of 16,614

Ottoline Spearman

Homelessness has reached another record high in Ireland as the number of people using emergency accommodation rose to 16,614.

Figures released on Friday by the Department for Housing show that adults still make up the largest proportion of homeless people, rising from 10,683 in January this year to 11,376 in September - an increase of 6.5 per cent.

However, child homelessness also grew at a much faster rate, increasing by 13.8 per cent from 4,603 to 5,238 over the same period - over double that of adults.

Ber Grogan, executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said governments had failed children forced into emergency accommodation.

She said: “Children should be thinking about dressing up and going trick or treating, not wondering where they’ll sleep tonight.

“Families should be planning fun activities – not counting how many nights they have left in an emergency bed. Young people should be starting their lives, not starting adulthood in homelessness.”

The figures also show that while men still account for the majority of homeless adults, the gap is narrowing.

From January to September 2025, male adult homelessness grew by 232 people, a rise of 3.5 per cent, compared with a 461 increase among women (11.2 per cent).

Since January, the total homeless number has risen by more than 1,300 people, highlighting sustained pressure on the housing system, alongside the continued impact of rising rents, evictions, and shortages of long-term housing options.

An eviction ban was imposed from November 2022 until the end of March 2023 in an attempt to control rising homelessness numbers.

Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin said the latest figures was “very, very grim”, with homelessness up across almost all categories – including another 50 families.

He called on Housing Minister James Browne to ensure his housing plan prioritises ending long-term homelessness.

Mr Ó Broin said: “That means he needs to increase the targets for the delivery of social housing, he needs to increase the funding for those homes above what was announced in the budget in October.

“We cannot simply come here month after month and see these numbers increase, so it’s now time for James Browne to put up or shut up.”

Figures at the end of Q3 2025 also mark an increase of 1,854 (12.6 per cent) on the total recorded at the end of Q3 2024.

The statistics do not include people sleeping rough, “couch-surfing” or those in hospitals, asylum seeker centres or domestic violence shelters.

Additional reporting: PA