Homeless figures in Kilkenny increase as another national record is broken

There were 40 people recorded as being homeless in Kilkenny during the last full week of September, according to the recently published September Homeless Report from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

This figure is one more than previous report (39) and places Kilkenny as the tied second-highest county for individual homelessness in the South-East, behind only Waterford (76).

Across the South-East region, 231 people accessed emergency accommodation in September.

The 25-44 age group were the group most impacted by homelessness in the region, with 139 people from this age cohort recorded in the South-East figures.

Nationally, 10,975 people were accessing emergency accommodation in the last week of September, surpassing the previous national record set in August. 

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September is the ninth consecutive month where overall homeless figures have risen.

Despite being a worthwhile indicator, these statistics actually fail to reflect the full extent of the local and national homeless crisis.

This is because government homeless statistics relate only to households provided with emergency accommodation by the local authorities.

They do not include households frequently described as the ‘hidden homeless’ that may be sleeping rough, living in refuges, or staying with parents, relatives and friends in overcrowded conditions.

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As many as 290,000 people in Ireland are likely to be experiencing hidden homelessness, recent Simon Communities Ireland research shows.  

The Department of Housing’s homelessness statistics are published on a monthly basis.