Number of rough sleepers in Dublin up 12% since November

The number of people sleeping rough in Dublin has increased by 12 per cent in five months, despite the provision of almost 500 new emergency beds in the last six months.

The number of adults in emergency accommodation in Dublin has increased by about 30 per cent in a year.

The results of the annual “spring count” of rough sleepers, published on Tuesday, show there was a minimum of 102 people sleeping on the capital’s streets. This compares with 91 in the “winter count” of November 2015, and with 105 found in April last year.

Organisations working with rough sleepers described the results as “deeply disappointing” and “unacceptable”.

The count was conducted on April 24th, the night of the census and just over a month before the withdrawal of all “cold weather emergency beds” on May 30th.

The 100-bed Brú Aimsir facility at the Digital Hub on Thomas Street had been due to close on April 30th. However, following negotiations with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, the Digital Hub agreed to extend the lease until May 30th.

On the night of the count, 4,262 emergency beds were occupied in the capital, including those occupied by about 1,800 children.

The executive did not give the breakdown as to how many of the 4,262 were adults or children. However the most recent figures for homeless children in Dublin – for March 21st-27th – showed there were 1,723 in 839 families.

Likely increased

This figure for children had likely increased by April 24th, giving a population of about 2,460 adults in emergency accommodation. This compares with 1,872 adults in emergency accommodation on the night of the April 2015 spring count – a 31 per cent increase.

Of the 102 found sleeping rough on April 24th, 84 were men, 16 women and two were unknown.

Some 64 were Irish, 17 non-Irish and 21 unknown. The most prevalent age was 31-40 years (27 people) while 20 were aged 18-30, 15 were aged 41-50, nine were aged 51-60, five were older than 61 years and the ages of 26 people could not be ascertained.

Pat Doyle, chief executive of the Peter McVerry Trust said the figures were unacceptable and deeply disappointing.

“We are calling for decisive action to stem the flow of people into homelessness . . . The Government needs to introduce robust interventions . . . We need to see the urgent introduction of index-linked rents and a substantial increase in rent supplement.”