Number of homeless families in Dublin exceeds 1,000

The number of homeless families in Dublin exceeded 1,000 for the first time in September, Department of Housing figures show.

The figures show a record total of 6,709 people were homeless across the State last month – 4,283 adults and 2,426 children.

A total of 1,173 families were homeless across the State, and of the overall number of homeless 5,058 were living in Dublin.

The statistics for August showed a total of 6,611 were homeless, including 998 families in Dublin.

Focus Ireland said while it was supporting at least one family to move on from homelessness every day this year, the reality was that inadequate prevention strategies meant more than one other family became homeless every day.

“We need to stop the constant flow of families and single people becoming homeless,” said Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen.

“Our frontline staff have seen first-hand that the two key reasons families are becoming homeless is, one, landlords are selling up and getting out of the business, and, two, rising rents,” he said, adding that both issues were within the power of the Government to tackle.

Defending the figures, the department said there had been significant increases in rates of homelessness in recent times, and that the “root cause” was a supply shortage of housing.

The department said although the homelessness figures were rising there were significant measures in its plan to end homelessness.