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.”
Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said “the greatest demand for housing is in the capital and housing needs capital investment. While recent policy measures have focused on housing supply and changes within the rental sector, the true test of any intervention must be whether fewer people are entering homelessness and whether more people are able to leave homelessness. That is not the case in the capital.
“For Budget 2027, Dublin remains the epicentre of Ireland’s homelessness crisis. We need a dedicated Dublin housing and homelessness strategy, backed by clear targets, accountability and sustained investment. The ambition to address must match the greatness of the challenge. We are calling on the Government to double the capital funding to €2.1 billion for investment in 5,000 new builds of social housing in Dublin. Progress is possible and achievable, but it requires continued commitment, investment and collaboration across housing, health and social care systems.,” she said.
The latest data from the Department of Housing also includes 1,869 families and 4,106 children living in emergency accommodation in Dublin. These figures don’t account for those rough sleeping, in insecure accommodation, in domestic violence shelters, or those in hidden homelessness (people sleeping in tents, cars, on couches).
The figures do not include people seeking international protection, who follow a separate accommodation pathway through IPAS.
Kenny added, “we know that the crisis is not caused by any single factor.”
“Given the complexity of different intersecting pressures, we must deliver an integrated response with housing, health and social supports as part of a coherent plan. The longer people remain in homelessness, the greater the impact on their health, well-being and future opportunities. Reducing homelessness requires sustained commitment across government, local authorities, housing providers and support services.”