Dublin child homelessness figure doubles to 1,400

There are now more than 1,400 homeless children in Dublin – more than twice as many as a year ago, the latest figures show.

Data published last night by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive show that during the week of 18th to 25th October there were 1,425 children in 677 families in emergency accommodation.

This represents a 109 per cent increase in the number of homeless children since October 2014, when there were 680 children in emergency accommodation in the capital.

Of the total, 975 children in 461 families are in hotels, while 450 children in 216 are in supported homeless accommodation.

‘Shameful’

Dublin Simon has described the figures as “unacceptable and shameful”, while

Focus Ireland

said they showed “Government action has so far failed to halt the constant flow of families becoming homeless”.

Sam McGuinness, Dublin Simon chief executive, said he was “alarmed” at the numbers. “With no measures to stop the ever rising flow of people into homelessness over the past year, we are now faced with the very shameful situation where 1,425 children are forced to lay their head in inadequate accommodation, scared and vulnerable, without a safe home to look to this Christmas.”

He said rent certainty measures announced by the Government this week were inadequate, as rents remained unaffordable for the poorest families dependent on rent supplement.

Mike Allen, director of advocacy with Focus Ireland, said the plan to freeze rents for two years was welcome but added a rise in rent supplement levels was necessary to keep poorer families in their homes.

‘Cumulative impact’

“The families which became homeless in October did so primarily as a result of the cumulative effects of rising rents over the last two years, linked to a freeze in rent supplement,” said Mr Allen.

“Even if the Government’s package does has the effect of slowing down rents it will make no difference to the families who will continue to lose their homes because of the cumulative impact of rent rises over the last two years while the Government took no action.”

A spokeswoman for the DRHE, which manages homelessness services in the capital, said “month-on-month” the provision of emergency accommodation for families was being increased.

In addition the executive was working to ensure 500 modular homes would be delivered next year to provide temporary accommodation for homeless families. National homelessness data for October are to be published by the Department of the Environment over the weekend.