Record 10,568 people homeless in July as charities seek fresh eviction ban

Sleeping in a doorway just yards from Cork Simon sheltered accommadation. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A record 10,568 people were homeless in July, a seventh consecutive monthly increase and a tally which prompted fresh calls for more action to stem the flow of people entering and remaining in emergency accommodation.

The unwanted record is the highest monthly total since October 2019, pre-pandemic, and is 30% higher than the figure for July 2021. The number of young people aged 18 to 24 in emergency accommodation has risen at an even faster rate.

Charities and support organisations reacted with alarm to the latest report, even though it had been widely anticipated that July would see a new record set, particularly amid the ongoing rental crisis.

Wayne Stanley, Head of Policy and Communication at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said: “The record number of people in homeless emergency accommodation is even more disturbing when we consider the depth of the current housing crisis. 

"The previous peak of homeless numbers was seen in October 2019. At that time, 3,500 properties were available to rent according to Daft.ie’s Rental Report, compared to just 716 available now, and those few properties are completely unaffordable. We are seeing landlords leaving the private rental market and the cost of living crisis continues to bite.

"It is deeply disheartening and concerning to see a record high number of 10,568 people stuck in emergency homeless accommodation while over 166,000 homes are vacant throughout the country. Our pre-budget submission calls on the Government to bring 5,000 vacant homes into use in 2023 through a renewed Repair and Lease Scheme to house people in homelessness and those waiting on social housing."

Tents of homeless people in Dublin as the Inner City Helping Homeless charity has warned of further deaths of rough sleepers over the festive period if the Government does not intervene.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said the homelessness emergency required immediate action, including measures to retain landlords and existing rentals.

"The Government must introduce a number of measures to convince landlords that it is in their interest not to evict their tenants to sell, at least over the next six years while new housing is coming on stream," he said. 

"This should include short-term tax relief, measures to make it more attractive to sell with the tenant in situ and a ramped-up scheme for local authorities to purchase homes with vulnerable tenants in place. While this package of measures is being put in place, the Government should introduce an immediate pause in the Notice of Terminations which have already been issued to avert the scale of evictions currently envisaged."

Mr Dennigan also said the 3,137 children in emergency accommodation were having their childhoods "stolen" and couldn't wait for the long-term solution of new build properties.

Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, also called for a moratorium on evictions across the autumn and winter, as well as other measures such as a targeted leasing programme for singles and larger families.

David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul said he was "extremely concerned" about the current situation.