Number of homeless people hits record high for second month in a row 

The latest figures show a 32% increase from the same time period last year, when 8.212 people were recorded as being officially homeless. File Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Ireland has hit a record high for the second month in a row. 

New figures from the Department of Housing show that in the last week of August, 10,805 people were using emergency accommodation, surpassing the previous record of 10,568 people in July. 

The number of people accessing emergency accommodation has risen steadily over the last eight months. 

The latest figures show a 32% increase from the same time period last year, when 8.212 people were recorded as being officially homeless. 

Child homelessness has also increased by 47% compared to the same time last year, as in the last month a total of 1,483 families with 3,220 children were recorded as homeless. 

Family homelessness has risen by 56% compared to August 2021. 

Focus Ireland has warned that without immediate Government intervention the crisis "will continue to deepen this winter as supply is at an all time low."

A spokesperson for the charity added that the Government "failed to take any action in Budget 2023 to stop landlords leaving the rental market." 

"This trend of leaving the rental market is causing increased eviction notices from private rented homes." 

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan further commented on the impact of landlords leaving the rental market, stating: "The number of landlords selling up has had a huge negative effect on the monthly homeless figures and the Government has failed to respond to a catastrophe which we – and their own data – have been warning them about for months. 

"Landlords seeking to sell issued eviction notices to over 1,000 households in the first half of this year alone," he said. 

Mr Dennigan said that homeless services and local authorities are grappling with the reality that they may not be able to provide emergency accommodation for all the families that will become homeless this winter. 

Many families will have a grim dilemma this winter between paying their rent, energy bills or putting food on the table. 

"Focus Ireland will continue to help people find homes, but it is difficult to see homeless services being able to cope with the sheer demand of people that need our support," he said. 

Mr Dennigan called on the Government to provide an "immediate emergency response," adding that it is "unforgiveable" that the budget "failed to offer a single measure" to prevent people from losing their homes. 

The Simon Communities of Ireland have also called on the Government to take an emergency style response to the figures. 

Head of policy and communication Wayne Stanley said: "Seeing a new record level of recorded homelessness with little hope that the situation will improve is devastating. 10,805 men, women and children in emergency accommodation is a shocking figure." 

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Mr Stanley pointed out that though Budget 2023 contained positive measures, "it offered little in terms of innovative change to our housing system that will stem the flow of families and individuals into homelessness or provide more options to support those experiencing homelessness to move on."

The Simon Communities said the Government could take immediate action in areas such as improving homeless HAP rates to improve the situation. 

It added that  it has been almost a year since the Simon bill received cross party support and passed the second stage in the Dáil. 

"The Government have committed to enacting the provisions in this bill, which would stop homelessness before it starts. The bill needs to be enacted now."