Slight fall in emergency accommodation figures in May

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

There has been a slight decrease in the number of people accessing emergency accommodation, with the overall figure at 17,447 for May.

The figure is made up of 11,864 adults and 5,583 children.

It is a decrease of 101 from April’s figure of 17,548 in April and also below the 17,517 figure for March.

The reduction in the overall figure mostly comes from the adult population, with the child homelessness figure down by 21.

Opposition parties reiterated criticism of the Government’s record on housing, while homelessness charities pointed out thousands of children would enter the school break, spending a summer without the “certainty of a home”.

The number of people accessing emergency accommodation has been steadily increasing for years, with the trend typically seeing only slight declines in December.

The monthly figures published by the Department of Housing do not account for people sleeping rough or those staying in hospitals, asylum centres or domestic violence shelters.

Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin called for an emergency package of measures to tackle the homelessness crisis.

He said that while the latest figures represent a “marginal drop” in the number of adults and children using Department-funded emergency accommodation compared to April, the report shows “homelessness increasing by 9 per cent in the last 12 months, with child homelessness up 11 per cent and family homelessness up 18 per cent during the same period”.

Social Democrats housing spokesman Rory Hearne said the figures show that there had been a 20 per cent increase in children living in homelessness since the election of the Government.

He added: ““Since James Browne became Housing Minister in January 2025, 27,000 households have been issued an eviction notice.

“This is a shameful legacy.”

The chief executive of homeless charity Depaul said he was noting the latest figures with “sadness”.

David Carroll said: “What is particularly sad this time of year is when we think of the school-age children living in emergency services.

“As schools all over the country close for the summer, thousands of children face the reality of a summer spent in unsuitable temporary accommodation with no certainty of a home.

“And their parents face the worry of how they are going to support these children for the next few months.”