Homeless figures increase to 12,847

The latest homeless figures have shown that 12,847 people in Ireland were in emergency accommodation during the final week of July.

3,829 of those in homelessness in Ireland are children.

The figure is yet another unwanted record, marking the fifth consecutive month where the homeless figures in Ireland were at record levels.

The 25-44 age group had the highest level of homelessness, with the group making 54% of the figure.

The increase in homelessness figures has been attributed to the lifting of the eviction ban in March, according to homeless campaigner Father Peter McVerry.

“The majority of people entering homelessness are coming from the private rented sector where renters live in constant fear of eviction,” said Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan.

“The temporary ban on no-fault evictions was working. It resulted in the first fall in homelessness in over a year until the Government made their disastrous decision to scrap the ban.”

“Without this basic level of protection, renters are once again exposed to the ever-present danger of eviction. We simply cannot accept the appalling numbers of people becoming homeless.”

“I am again calling on the Minister for Housing to immediately reinstate the ban on no-fault evictions in order to protect people from the trauma of becoming homeless.”

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said “we have more than 12,000 people homeless and there are also more than 3,000 children who have no homes to go to. Any good Minister would be staying up late at night trying to solve this crisis, and would constantly have these homeless children on his mind.”

CEO of Dublin Simon Community, Catherine Kenny, said “the delivery of housing units is not keeping pace with the unprecedented surge of people entering homelessness. This is compounded by the fact that the number of people exiting homelessness into housing is wholly unsatisfactory.

“We cannot understate the detrimental impact of homelessness on a person’s health and wellbeing. It is a life-altering and traumatising experience, and being stranded in emergency accommodation for an indefinite period exacerbates that trauma.”

Kenny added “as the foundations are being laid for medium to long-term housing delivery, we are calling on Government to bring relief to the thousands of people being affected by the homelessness crisis in the here and now. Homeless services must be fully funded. All available capital funding for housing supply must be put to use. The delivery of one and two-bed units is absolutely integral.

“The time has come to herald in a new age for society where homelessness becomes a dark but distant memory.”