Extreme and urgent homelessness is no longer an outlier in Ireland

A review of the Housing Act of 1988 presents an opportunity to design a new system that is fit for purpose and one that protects, rather than restricts, access to vital support, writes Mary Heavey

There are different types of homelessness. The latest statistics show that 10,683 adults and 4,603 children are living in some sort of emergency accommodation.

The new Government term has brought fresh emphasis on tackling the housing and homelessness crisis, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris declaring it the Government’s number one priority.

All options appear to be on the table (except, disappointingly, a referendum on the right to housing), including the establishment of a strategic housing activation office, a review of rent pressure zones, and the relaxation of planning rules on cabins in back gardens.