Numbers in emergency accommodation hit new record of over 13,500

The overall number has risen from 13,179 that was recorded in October.

More than 13,500 people were homeless in November last year — a new record figure.

Some 13,514 people were in emergency accommodation in November, including 4,105 children.

The overall number has risen from 13,179 that was recorded in October.

According to new figures published Friday by the Department of Housing, 2,000 families were in emergency accommodation in November, of which 57% were single-parent families.

Need to progress beyond 'merely expressing disappointment'

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan described the latest figures as "distressing" and said 2024 needed to be the year in which the government takes "a different approach to homelessness and uses all available resources to reduce the number of people who are homeless, particularly those who are homeless for long periods."

He said that the Government appeared to be "overwhelmed" by the problem of providing emergency accommodation to homeless people, those seeking international protection, and those who have have arrived in Ireland since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Instead of seeing these as competing challenges, the Government should redirect its efforts into maximizing the number of long-term homeless households moving out of homeless accommodation and into their own home – this would free up emergency accommodation for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees," he said.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan. File Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Mr Dennigan said that while the last two years seen more social housing delivered than had been seen "for many years", this resource was not being used "to its best effect in reducing homelessness."

"If a fairer share of new social housing was allocated to those who have been homeless for long periods, we could reduce the harm caused by homelessness and ensure there was enough temporary accommodation for those who need this form of support," he said.

Mr Dennigan added that homelessness is "profoundly traumatic for everyone, but it inflicts the greatest harm on children."

It is truly devastating that an unprecedented 4,105 children were homeless in November when other children were preparing for Christmas.

"As a society, we need to progress beyond merely expressing disappointment at the recurring record-breaking homelessness figures each month and start doing things that change the situation such as a fairer share of social housing.”

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin. File Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said that the latest Department of Housing report was "further evidence that the Government’s housing plan is failing." 

“Once again, this Government has broken all records for officially recognised homelessness," he said. 

“Over Christmas the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said that any reasonable person looking at the evidence would conclude that the Government’s housing plan is working.

“In fact, any reasonable person looking at today’s figures would draw only one conclusion, the Government’s housing plan is not only failing, it is making things worse."

The Dublin Mid-West TD also said that, since the current Government was formed, homelessness and child homelessness had increased by 55%.

“Only with a change of Government and a change of housing plan, with a real focus on ending homelessness, can we start to undo the damage of decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy," he said. 

More to follow . . .