Increase in young female rough sleepers in capital

There has been a minor reduction in the number of homeless families in the capital, but former lord mayor Christy Burke says the number of rough sleepers, particularly females, has increased.

The Department of Housing yesterday released figures showing there were 1,023 families in Dublin living in emergency accommodation in November, down 1,026 in October.

Independent Dublin City councillor Christy Burke visits homeless people at night, providing them with food, sleeping bags, and hygiene packs as part of the group Inner City Helping Homeless. On Wednesday night he counted 152 rough sleepers on the capital’s streets, 25 of whom were women.

Mr Burke said: “They’re sitting there with wet blankets over their shoulders with rain dripping off them. It reminds me of the H-blocks. The State has failed them.”