Over 300 presented as homeless to Laois County Council in 2023

Over 300 people in Laois came to Laois County Council to present themselves as being homeless in need of emergency accommodation, over the course of 2023.

The council's housing section dealt with 307 cases of homeless presentations in the one year.

Of those, the council say that 96 were families and 166 were single people.

On New Year's Eve 2023 there were seven homeless families booked into the one hostel, and 18 single people staying across three hostels.

In other new figures given out by county hall, they say they bought 17 privately rented houses during 2023, after the tenants came to them to report they had received Notices to Quit.

Another six are in the process of being bought.

Of those, 15 of the tenants have remained living in the homes, paying rent instead to the council, under the Tenant in Situ Scheme.

Another 11 rental homes are under consideration to be bought in Laois. 

The Government's Cost Rental Tenant in Situ Scheme allows the Housing Agency to buy rental properties from private landlords who are selling, so the Housing Agency can continue to rent these properties to the tenants who are living there.

You can access the scheme if you are a private tenant who has received a valid notice of termination and you are at risk of homelessness because your landlord is selling.

If the Housing Agency buys your rented home from your landlord, the Housing Agency will become your landlord.