Reduction in number of families entering emergency accommodation for first time

Dublin City Council say the number of families entering emergency accommodation for the first time between January and September 2020 was 519.

This compares to 837 for the same period in 2019, and 877 in 2018.

The number of children in emergency accommodation at the end of September was 2,008.

This is down slightly on the figure for August (2,023) and has reduced steadily every month since September 2019 when the figure was 2,872.

There were 865 families in emergency accommodation at the end of September 2020, the lowest number since April 2016. The figure for September is slightly up on the previous month, when there were 856 families in emergency accommodation.

The corresponding figure for January was 1,201.

At the end of September there were 278 families in hotels, the lowest number since April 2015 and down 24 from August 2020.

In relation to the 278 families, this is broken down between contracted hotels (131) and accommodation sourced through self-accommodation (147).

The situation in relation to single persons is complex.

The total number of single adults in emergency accommodation has continued to increase. In September the figure was 2,994.

In recent months Dublin City Council has successfully sourced a significant amount of additional emergency accommodation to cater for an increasing demand, whilst also keeping an eye on the upcoming winter period.

An increase in the overall supply of social housing is critical to addressing homelessness in the longer-term and is crucial in both preventing people from entering homelessness and exiting emergency accommodation.

The delivery of single person social housing over the coming years is also essential.