Laura Harmon: Housing and homelessness crisis is a stain of shame on this country
People rough sleeping, those in squats, parents and children in refuges, those in direct provision and people staying with family or friends are not counted in the figures of people using homeless accommodation.
There were 12,441 people trapped in emergency accommodation in Ireland in May 2023. Almost 4,000 children have nowhere to call a home.
The average rent in Ireland is now €1,800 — a 10.7% increase in 12 months according to a new report by Daft.ie. There are only 1,200 properties available to rent nationwide, less than a third of what was available in the 2015-2019 period.
