Number of people in homelessness hits record level for seventh straight month

In total there were 1,609 families in homeless accommodation. 

The number of people in homeless accommodation in Ireland reached a new record high for the seventh month in a row, as advocates urged the Government to extend the ban on evictions.

The latest figures published by the Department of Housing show that 8,323 adults and 3,431 children were in emergency accommodation in January, adding up to a total of 11,754 people.

This included 1,609 families, with over half of these single parent families.

The majority of adults living in homeless accommodation were in Dublin (at 5,946 people) with 529 homeless in Cork.

Digging into the statistics, Focus Ireland said there has been a shocking increase of 2,604 people homeless in January 2023 compared to the same time last year.

Family homelessness is up 44% in the last 12 months while child homelessness is up 34%.

It comes as the Government mulls over the possibility of extending the eviction ban due to be wound up next month. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil this week that the Government will make its decision before the St Patrick’s Day recess.

However, Tánaiste Micheál Martin also told the Dáil on Thursday that while the Government is “examining” the issue, he said that there are concerns that extending the ban could make supply issues worse.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said: “The introduction of the winter eviction ban last October was essential. At the time all emergency homeless accommodation was full and over 1,000 households faced eviction by landlords wanting to sell up. Both those conditions still exist so it is essential that the ban be continued to avoid an additional surge in family homelessness.

“It is wrong to say, as some have claimed, that the winter eviction ban has failed, the situation would be far worse without it and will rapidly become worse if it is ended. What has failed is the Government’s attempts to use the breathing space to make a real difference.” 

Mr Dennigan said the Government must stop lurching from one crisis to the next and create a clear plan to tackle the problems which made the eviction ban necessary in the first place.

“We are also calling for two clear actions by the Government that could help to ease the deepening crisis,” he said. 

We need decisive action to keep small-scale landlords in the market and we need action to ensure that homeless families get a fairer share of the social housing that is becoming available.

Depaul chief executive David Carroll, meanwhile, called for a three-to-six month extension of the moratorium on evictions.

“No more pressure can be put on the Homeless Temporary Accommodation system for both families and single people - homeless services are at capacity,” he said. “Any significant increase in presentations will be very difficult to deal with.” 

Mr Carroll said there’s a “nervousness” in the sector as the March deadline for the eviction ban due to be lifted.

“We will see a surge in the number of people presenting as homeless once the ban lifts and we must prepare,” he said. “Temporary accommodation is not the solution. We must do everything we can to prevent more people from entering homelessness and to give people already in homelessness a way out.” Social Democrat housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan said the Government has “no choice” but to extend the ban.

“Otherwise there will be a flood of evictions when it is lifted at the end of March,” he said. “This must form part of emergency measures needed to get to grips with the crisis.”