Homeless problem is ‘out of control’

The number of people accessing homeless support services from the McVerry Trust last year smashed all annual records as the charity warned that the problem is now “out of control”.

The news came as Housing Minister Simon Coveney admitted that the Government response to the homelessness crisis over the past five years “hasn’t been good enough”, adding: “That’s about to change.”

Publishing its 2015 annual report the Peter McVerry Trust revealed it had an 88% increase in the number of placements in emergency accommodation last year and a 38% rise in the number of people supported through its Open Access service.