Number of children homeless in Dublin tops 2,000

Groups working with the homeless have again raised their concerns after it emerged that 97 families in Dublin became homeless in just one month while the number of homeless children has now passed 2,000 for the first time.

New figures from Focus Ireland indicated that in July, 97 families became newly homeless in Dublin and were referred to its family services - meaning that 599 families and 1,202 children have become homeless in the first seven months of this year.

The Focus Ireland figures came after the Dublin Region Homeless Executive released figures that showed there were 2,020 children and 993 families in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region.

That compares with 1,894 children and 939 families in the previous month, while in July 2015 the number of homeless families was 556.

The organisation said there needed to be more action to implement the Government’s recently announced Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.

Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen said: “It is highly concerning that nearly 100 more families became homeless in Dublin alone last month. This is sadly one of the highest number of families who have become homeless in one single month.

Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen

“It is worth noting that the eviction of many of these families would have started a number of weeks ago, so that we are not yet seeing any positive impact from the Government’s decision to increase rent supplement levels.

“However, there are indications that an increasing number of families are becoming homeless because their landlord is selling up, or being forced to sell up. The fact that there is no immediate response in the action plan to this growing factor is of grave concern and shows that the range of actions in the plan needs to be widened.”

The view was echoed by a spokesperson for the Dublin Simon Community, who said: “The continuing rise in the number of vulnerable families and children becoming homeless highlights once again the urgent need for the implementation of the Housing and Homeless Action Plan.

“The new action plan has outlined measures to limit the use of emergency accommodation for families in Dublin and ensure that hotels are only used in limited circumstances by mid 2017.

“The rate of homelessness for children is also increasing at a rapid rate in Dublin and has exceeded 2,000 for the first time since current records began. In July 2015, there were 1,185 children in emergency accommodation. This is an astounding 70% increase in the last 12 months.”

Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said he felt “depressed resignation” over the figures, which he said were “shocking”.

Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry

Regarding the number of homeless children, he said it was “an appalling indictment” of the country and had lost shock value as they had “become the norm now”.

He said he welcomed the plan laid out recently by the Government, but said elements of it were not due to be implemented for some time, yet families were living in difficult conditions in hotel bedrooms.

“The tensions within the family increase obviously as time goes on, the children are stressed out, their education is suffering because they are stressed out, the parents are stressed out,” he told RTÉ, saying living in such circumstances “is going to affect those families and those children for the rest of their lives”.