Homeless figures still at 'deeply alarming level' despite slight fall in numbers, charities warn

'It remains to be seen if the small decrease in last month’s numbers is the beginning of a more positive trend, and if that trend emerges, it will be extremely important that the particular measures that are driving it are captured and replicated across the country.'

The number of people recorded as homeless has fallen slightly after months of new record highs, with 17,447 in emergency accommodation across the country at the end of May.

According to the latest Department of Housing figures, this included 11,864 adults and 5,583 children, along with 2,684 families.

In April, there were 17,548 people living in emergency accommodation across the State.

Focus Ireland said the slight fall must not prove a distraction as homelessness in Ireland remained at a ”deeply alarming level”.

“We know, through the work of our services, that people are consistently being refused emergency accommodation due to a shortage of places,” chief executive Pat Dennigan said.

We know that people are forced to find alternative and unsuitable forms of temporary accommodation and are not represented in the monthly figures.

“It remains to be seen if the small decrease in last month’s numbers is the beginning of a more positive trend, and if that trend emerges, it will be extremely important that the particular measures that are driving it are captured and replicated across the country.” 

Homelessness charity Depaul chief executive David Carroll said a particularly sad feature at this time of year was the number of school-age children facing a summer in temporary accommodation.

“A rite of passage for children all over Ireland but not for the 5,583 children who have been let down and who are growing up without the stability, safety, and support they need,” he said. “These children are quite literally spending their formative years in homelessness centres.

“We remain appalled that a large number of people in this country do not have a secure, affordable, decent place to call home.” 

The Simon Communities of Ireland, meanwhile, expressed concerns about proposed housing legislation and said any law that could increase people being forced to sleep rough was not acceptable.

“Across Simon services, we regularly meet people who have been turned away from one local authority and told to try another,” its executive director, Ber Grogan said.

“Some are fleeing violence, and services are already seeing an increase in rough sleeping. We need to be confident that any change in the law will not make that situation worse, and at the moment we do not have the detail needed to assess the impact of the proposed measures.” 

Earlier this week, a coalition of homeless service providers issued a joint statement saying they were ”greatly disturbed” at the speed at which the new housing bill was progressing through the Oireachtas and feared it may add to the escalating homeless crisis in the country.

“Unless amended, this bill will entrench barriers to housing support rather than remove them,” they said.

Housing minister James Browne earlier this month confirmed his department would add 'lawful residency' and 'habitual residency' to eligibility criteria for social housing supports.

Speaking with Gavan Reilly on Virgin Media earlier in the week, Mr Browne said it was “very difficult to model” when homeless numbers may fall.