Homelessness back at pre-Covid levels 

Homelessness rose by 3.5% in March, putting it back to pre-Covid levels.

Homelessness rose by 3.5% in March, putting it back to pre-Covid levels, despite an increase in the numbers exiting the system.

The Monthly Homeless Report for March shows that 9,825 individuals were homeless, an increase of 333 (3.5%) on the February 2022 total, 7% below the all-time high in October 2019, but just below the March 2020 figure of 9,905.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien said the number is "serious cause for concern".

Among the homeless adults recorded in March, 4,957 (71%) were single adults and there were 1,238 families in emergency accommodation.

A total of 2,811 children associated with these families, were in emergency accommodation in March 2022.

In Dublin, 413 families presented as homeless in the first three months of 2022, an increase of 8% on the corresponding period in 2021 (381). 245 families entered emergency accommodation in the Dublin region in Q1 2022, an increase of 91 on Q1 2021.

The report shows that during Q1 2022, 1,228 adults and their dependents exited, or were prevented from entering emergency accommodation, by way of a tenancy being created, a 3% increase.

Of those, 775 people exited emergency accommodation to private rented tenancies under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and 214 people exited homelessness to local authority homes.

Peter McVerry Trust, CEO Pat Doyle (right) welcomes the Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien TD, to turn the sod on its latest social housing scheme in Dublin City Centre earlier this month. Picture: Peter Houlihan / Coalesce

Concern

Mr O'Brien said that "every effort" is being made to bring numbers down.

“The continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation is a serious concern. The Government, local authorities and others are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Key to this is the delivery of new social housing and boosting overall supply.

“Increasing overall housing supply across tenures (social, affordable, private rental and private ownership) is also critical. To the end of March this year over 22,000 new homes were completed, the highest rolling 12-month average over the past decade. Commencement Notices for almost 35,000 new homes were received between April 2021 and March 2022, the highest rolling 12-month total since comparable data were first published.” 

Sinn Féin's Eoin O Broin said that urgent action is needed.

“Government's failure to provide a sufficient level of new social housing, coupled with the shrinking private rental sector, is driving homeless presentations.

“Vacant possession notices to quit from landlords are responsible for more than half of all evictions. More families and single people are presenting as homeless and they are finding it harder to exit due to the lack of social or private rental accommodation.

“The Government clearly does not have a handle on this deepening crisis. We need urgent action from the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien if this trend is to be reversed.

“The Government must allow local authorities to buy rental properties where the sitting HAP or RAS tenant has a notice to quit, to prevent the family becoming homeless."

The Department also provided information today on the first full operational quarter of the new Housing First National Implementation Plan 2022-2026. The Housing First Programme provides the most vulnerable in the homeless population with a home for life as well as with key wraparound health and social supports. A total of 58 new supported tenancies commenced in the first quarter of 2022. Through the programme, there are 703 high-support need individuals, who were formerly rough sleepers or long-term users of emergency accommodation, housed and supported in their own homes.