Homelessness on the rise and ‘spiralling out of control’

Homelessness is “spiralling out of control” as figures show more than 4,000 adults and children were in emergency accommodation around the country.

Figures from the Department of the Environment, Community, and Local Government for the month of May show that there were 3,134 adults in emergency homeless accommodation and 1,211 children.

In the first five months of this year, the number of adults in emergency accommodation increased by 154, with the number of families increasing by 41% from 401 to 565. The number of children in emergency accommodation rose by 346 — a 40% increase.

During one night in April, there with 151 people without a safe place to sleep in Dublin City. This included 105 people sleeping rough and 46 people sheltering at the Nite Cafe. Dublin is the only area where an official rough sleeper count takes place

Figures from Cork Simon Community indicate that rough sleeping in Cork City increased sevenfold between 2011 and 2014.

In December, the Simon Communities reported a 41% increase in the numbers of individuals and families around the country turning to its services for help over the past two years.

Some 291 extra emergency beds were made available in Dublin and Cork in December, of which all or almost all are in use.

There are currently 90,000 people on the waiting list for social housing.

Simon Communities spokeswoman Niamh Randall said the “devastating” figure were further evidence that the housing system was in crisis.

“These latest emergency accommodation figures from May highlight the growing movement of more and more people from housing into homelessness.

The numbers are truly devastating: During the week of May 18-24 there was a total of 3,134 adults, 565 families and 1,211 children in emergency accommodation nationwide. Such a reality is completely unacceptable,” she said.

Ms Randall said Simon was seeing evidence “first hand” that the housing and homelessness crisis is “worsening every single day”.

“More and more people are trapped in emergency accommodation with nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, many more sleep rough, or rely on the couches of friends and family to have a place to sleep at night,” she said.

The Simon Communities have called for an immediate increase in rent supplement and housing assistance payment limits to bring them in line with current market rents, coupled with rent certainty measures.

“With 10,000 people moving into rental properties each month, urgent action is now needed to address a housing crisis that is pushing thousands of people to the edge of homelessness,” said Ms Randall.