Number of people living in emergency accommodation rises to 9,724

The number of people in emergency accommodation rose to 9,724 in October as more than 14,000 people signed a petition calling on the Minister for Housing to put a six-month cap on the use of B&Bs and hotels for children.

The latest figures showed a rise of 26 in the number of homeless people in October, with a fall of 104 in the number of children in emergency accommodation offset by a rise of 13o in the number of homeless adults.