Number of people in emergency accommodation reaches new high of 13,866, including over 4,000 children

The number of homeless people in emergency accommodation has climbed to a new high, now standing at 13,866 including over 4,000 children.

The latest data, published on Friday by the Department of Housing, shows there were 9,719 adults and 4,147 children in homeless accommodation last month.

The figures represent an increase of 25 people since February when 13,841 were homeless, but an increase of 548 since December 2023 when the total was 13,318.

This time last year, there were 11,988 people, including 3,472 children, listed as homeless. The latest figure represents an increase of 1,878 homeless people in a single year.

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In Dublin, a total of 10,180 people, including 3,181 children, were counted as homeless last month – up from 8,775 people including 2,638 homeless children in March 2023.

These figures do not include people sleeping rough or homeless asylum seekers.

The figures for last month show that Irish-born account for just over half (55 per cent) of all the homeless with the rest coming from either EU or the UK (23 per cent) or further afield (22 per cent).

Some 204 people living in emergency accommodation last month were over 65 years of age, while 53 per cent (5,146) were aged between 25 and 44.

A further 2,709 were aged between 45 and 64 while 1,660 were aged between 18 and 24.

Some 62 per cent of homeless adults were male, and 38 per cent female

The number of homeless single adults now stands at 6,409, of whom 4,487 are in Dublin.

Noting that homeless figures in Dublin have reached a new record high, increasing by 80 since February, homeless charity Dublin Simon said 111 offers of emergency accommodation are made nightly in the capital while just four households a day in the region are exiting homelessness.

Chief executive Catherine Kenny said stories of “heartbreak and struggle” lie behind the “alarming statistics”.

“The escalating trend of adults and children seeking emergency accommodation each day and night is untenable. Prolonged stays in emergency shelters strip away hope, leaving deep scars on mental and physical health.

“The impact on children is immeasurable, robbing them of their security and stability in some of their most important developmental years,” she said.

Ms Kenny said the figures are not only a result of a failing system but also due to a “failure of compassion.”

“Each person experiencing homelessness in Dublin represents a painful testament to the failures of our society to provide for its most vulnerable members. They deserve more than temporary solutions and empty promises. They deserve homes,” she said.

Ms Kenny said “real commitment” is needed from Taoiseach Simon Harris to ensure that homelessness is flattened or reduced over the next 12 months.

“We implore Cabinet to prioritise tackling the homelessness crisis and commit to implementing comprehensive strategies and effective policies to ensure that every individual and family has access to safe and stable housing,” she said.

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