‘Homelessness not easing’, charities warn as figures increase after drop in May
There were 11,862 adults recorded as homeless in June, down two on the previous month, and 5,620 children homeless, up 17.
Housing charities have warned that homelessness is not easing as the latest figures increased again after a slight drop in May.
There were 17,482 people in emergency accommodation in June compared to 17,447 in May, according to the Department of Housing’s official figures.
There were 11,862 adults recorded as homeless, down two on the previous month, and 5,620 children, up 17.
Of those in homelessness, half are Irish among the two thirds who are from the European Economic Area or the UK.
Over half of those in homelessness are aged between 25 and 44.
Focus Ireland chief executive Pat Dennigan said the “deeply worrying” figures show that homelessness “is not easing”.
“While the small fall in May was welcome, it did not continue in June,” he said.
“Thousands of children are still growing up without the security and stability of a home, and that must remain the focus of urgent Government action.”
He said that Focus Ireland staff across the country see people “who are under enormous pressure” such as those facing no-fault evictions or unaffordable rents.
Mr Dennigan said: “The Government should be doing everything possible to prevent homelessness and help people move on from emergency accommodation, so it is particularly disappointing that the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan has been postponed until after the summer while the Government wrangles over whether it will fund its essential measures.
“If the Government is serious about reversing this rise, it should be urgently progressing the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan, the National Prevention Framework and the review of the HAP Scheme, not delaying them.
“These measures are essential to preventing homelessness and helping people move more quickly into secure and stable homes.”
Executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland Ber Grogan said it was “unacceptable” that 5,620 children will spend their summer holidays in emergency accommodation.
“For thousands of children experiencing homelessness, summer means another day in a hotel room or family hub, often sharing a single room with their family and with little space to play, learn or simply be children,” she said.
“Summer can also bring additional pressures for families experiencing homelessness.
“Without the structure of the school day, many parents face increased childcare costs while also losing access to school meals, putting even greater strain on already stretched household budgets.”
A spokesperson for Housing Minister James Browne said the funding for the plan will form part of Budget 2026.
“While the plan itself will be brought to Government in September, there is no delay whatsoever to all current work under way to tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and housing precarity,” the spokesperson said.
“The minister has certainly not waited for a document to be published in order to make families experiencing homelessness a priority and that has been widely acknowledged.”
The spokesperson also said funding of 100 million euro has been allocated this year to acquire second-hand properties to support families who are longest in homeless emergency accommodation and the Housing First programme.
Labour’s housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan said there had been an almost 10% increase in homelessness year on year.
He added: “To see an almost 10% year on year increase in the level of people accessing emergency accommodation is evidence that this Government has thrown in the towel on tackling the system issues driving homelessness.
“These figures are not inevitable but are the consequences of years of failing to deliver enough social and affordable housing.
“Just this week we saw the slow start to social housing building projects, which will come nowhere close to the scale recommended by the Housing Commission.”
Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne said 5,620 children recorded as homeless was an “appalling” new record.
“Children now comprise 32% of all homeless people. There has been a 60% increase in child homelessness since Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael formed a Government in 2020,” he said.
“Today’s figures don’t even reveal the true scale of the crisis as they exclude those in hidden homelessness – individuals who are sleeping rough, in cars, in tents, on friends’ couches or women and children living in domestic violence shelters.
“We cannot allow ourselves to become inured to these numbers – because homelessness is a tragedy that should never be normalised.”