Louth homeless numbers continue to rise

The number of homeless people in Louth and the North East region rose again in October, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

256 adults accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 21-27 October 2024 in the North East region, with 235 of them in Louth. This is up from 252 in September in the North East, which included 229 in Louth.

Of the 256 adults, 127 were male and 129 were female. 38 were aged 18-24 years old; 139 aged 25-44; 73 aged 45-64; and six were aged 65 and over, up from five in September. 139 were Irish citizens; 61 were EEA/UK citizens; and 56 were non-EEA citizens.

70 families with 150 children, also accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 21-27 October in the North East region. While this is down from 72 families in September, the number of homeless children in October was the same as in September.

Nationally, 10,321 adults and 4,645 children were recorded as homeless in October, giving a total of 14,966 homeless people, up from 14,760 in September and another record high number of homeless people in the State.

Commenting on the latest figures, David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul, the charity supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, called on "any new government to take radical action" and said that, “behind these numbers are men, women, and children living without a home and the impact on them is devastating.

"The time has passed for inaction or indecision – we are now faced with levels of homelessness we have never witnessed before. Where once 10,000 was thought to be unacceptable – it is hard to understand why we are now accepting this new level of 14,966.

“Little seems to be cutting through or making it high up on the list of priorities – but the future of 4,645 children trapped in the cycle of homelessness is now in the hands of any new government and they must adopt a swift and radical approach to addressing this national crisis. 

“The housing market is not working for those most vulnerable, we have families and children going into what could be their second or third Christmas in temporary emergency accommodation. We also still have thousands in direct provision - many who have been there for over a year or more and there is no coherent housing plan for those in Direct provision who have permission to remain in Ireland.

“Any new government must gather a strong response to this crisis. Housing is the most basic and fundamental need yet a large number of people in this country do not have a secure, affordable, decent place to call home. Something has to change.”