Homeless figures increase to 10,325 in May with charity ‘gravely concerned’ over rise in numbers

The Dublin Simon Community has recently seen a “huge growth” in the number of women presenting as homeless, and this month’s official figures show a 30 per cent growth in the number of adult females in emergency accommodation in Dublin in the last 12 months.

Figures released by the Department of Housing on Friday show there were 10,325 people, including 3,028 children, homeless during one week in May – an increase of 276 since April.

The number of homeless single adults increased nationally by 188 to 7,297 in May. In Dublin, the number of homeless single adults increased from 4,991 to 5,173.

The number of homeless families also rose in May, up by 58 since April. Meanwhile, 956 of the families in homeless accommodation were in Dublin.

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The Dublin Simon Community said it was “gravely concerned by the cataclysm caused by the rising number of people entering homelessness each month”.

Behind the figures were “thousands of people experiencing unimaginable stress and trauma caused by spending lengthy periods in the uncertainty of emergency accommodation” which was creating further pressure within services supporting homeless people.

Outreach manager Ciarán King said there was a “clear crisis in finding suitable emergency accommodation” at the moment.

“One of our primary concerns is ensuring the safety of women who we are encountering on the streets. Many people that we work with have a range of complex needs and are very vulnerable,” Mr King said.

“It is essential that we have access to safe and secure emergency accommodation for this group and adequate emergency places for all those who require it.”

April was the first month in more than two years that homelessness increased to more than 10,000 people. The last time homelessness reached this level was in February 2020, when there were 10,198 people in emergency accommodation across the State.

Eviction bans during the pandemic stemmed the flow into homelessness and more accommodation came on-stream in the private rented sector. Homeless figures were at the lowest in the last five years in May 2021, when they fell to 7,991.

Focus Ireland chief executive Pat Dennigan said figures will “undoubtedly” rise in the coming months “if urgent action is not taken by the Government”.

“As well as facing the housing and homelessness crisis we are not facing one of the worst periods of inflation in living memory. In addition to rocketing rents, vulnerable people nationwide are struggling to pay their petrol energy bills and many families can barely put food on their table,” Mr Dennigan said.

In the long term, a greater supply of affordable housing was needed, Mr Dennigan added.