Homeless figures inch closer to 18,000

Nearly 17,500 people were availing of homeless accommodation in Ireland in February, the highest figure since records began.

17,447 people were confirmed to be in homeless accommodation by the Department of Housing in the most recent round of figures.

The figure is a slight drop from the 17,548 people confirmed to be in homeless accommodation by the Department of Housing in the most recent round of figures.

March 2026 was the first month in which controversial rent rules were implemented, with critics arguing erodes tenants’ rights and prevent tenants from attaining long-term security.

Of the figure, 5,583 are children, slightly down from in the last round of figures.

12,370 people were confirmed to be homeless in Dublin.

While this month’s figures are a nominal win for the government, they are still near record high levels.

When the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael/independents government took office in January 2025, the figure stood at 15,286 people.

The figures mark a dramatic increase from May 2016, when the 32nd Dáil met for the first time, when 6,189 people were in homeless accommodation.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin noted “while this represents a marginal drop in the number of adults and children in Department of Housing-funded emergency accommodation compared to April, the report shows homelessness increasing by 9% in the last 12 months, with child homelessness up 11% and family homelessness up 18% during the same period.”

The Dublin Mid-West TD said that earlier this month, the Oireachtas Housing Committee published an important report on homelessness.

It urged the Minister for Housing to introduce an emergency package of measures to “dramatically” reduce the number of people who become homeless while accelerating the number of people exiting emergency accommodation.

“The Committee report echoes Sinn Féin’s detailed proposals, published last month, for an emergency package of measures to tackle the deepening homelessness crisis,” he noted.

“The response of the Minister to the Oireachtas Housing Committee report is deeply disappointing; he has wrongly claimed that he is implementing many of our recommendations already.”

“This is an insult to the Committee but more importantly to the thousands of people in emergency accommodation and at risk of becoming homeless,” Ó Broin said

“Minister Browne needs to listen to our Committee, and front line service providers, and take the necessary measures to ensure that we see significant month-on-month reductions in the number of people in emergency accommodation.”