Homelessness problem may be worse than official figures, says agency

THE problem of homelessness may be much worse than official statistics have shown in the past, a conference heard this week, with more social housing needed to help combat the crisis.

While the most recent Homeless Needs Assessment indicated that 2,399 households were experiencing homelessness nationwide, the Simon community said that this is likely to be a “significant underestimate” of the true extent of the problem.

Chairman of Simon’s south-east branch, John McHugh, said that community-based services, which emphasise the role of prevention in breaking the cycle of homelessness, which affects many families, are the way to go.