Simon community ‘stretched to limit’ by homeless crisis

The rise in the homeless population has been highlighted by a 17% increase, last year, in the number of people availing of services provided countrywide by the Simon communities

Amid fears the crisis has deepened even further this year, the annual report by the Simon Community outlined the scale of the problem as it ramped up in 2013. The 6,122 people supported last year was a 41% increase on a comparable figure for 2011.

For those falling into homelessness, 1,182 people accessed Simon Communities emergency accommodation in all four regions of the country last year, while 1,828 people accessed treatment and support, including community alcohol detoxification and drugs counselling.