Homeless figures break record for 2nd month in a row

The latest homelessness figures for Ireland show that 13,514 people are homeless in Ireland, breaking a dubious record in the process.

The figures from Novemebr are now the highest level of homelessness ever recorded in Ireland, up from the record of 13,179 in the previous set of figures.

The figures includes 4,105 children, marking the first time that over 4,000 children have been homeless in Ireland.

Focus Ireland said “Goverment must act now to maximise the number of long-term homeless households moving out of homelessness and into their own home.”

2024 will mark 6 years since An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar declared homelessness a national emergency, when figures were below the 10,000 mark.

Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan called the fact that 4,000 children are now homeless in Ireland “a national disaster.”

“Government must put in place a permanent ban on no-fault evictions,” the Social Democrats housing spokesperson said.

O’Callaghan noted that since Darragh O’Brien became Minister for Housing in 2020, the number of people living in emergency homeless accommodation has shot up by 55%, with the same percentage of children in homelessness growing during that time.

“Government is in a state of paralysis when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis. Its final year in office will be tainted by unprecedented levels of child homelessness and a generation locked out of home ownership.”

Record levels of homelessness have been recorded multiple times since the ban on evictions was lifted in March of last year.

Government controversially voted to lift the eviction ban in March last year after it was introduced in the Budget for 2022 as a way of decreasing the homeless rates during the height of the cost of living crisis.

O’Callaghan said “it is no coincidence that child homelessness has risen every month since the eviction ban was lifted.”

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien told the Irish Independent last year that solving the homeless crisis was his “biggest priority.”