Paul Hosford: As homelessness rises, thousands of Irish homes sit vacant on short-term letting sites

With homelessness at record levels, Ireland must confront the reality of thousands of homes lying empty for tourism profit

As the 'Irish Examiner' reveals today, Saturday January 3, three quarters of short-term rental properties advertised on platforms such as Airbnb are vacant at any one time. Picture: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

By now, it is common knowledge that thousands of people will have spent the festive period in emergency accommodation.

The housing crisis has become Ireland’s newest chronic and acute crisis. Just add it to the pile along with health and disability.