The number of homeless people in the State dropped slightly in December, according to the latest Department of Housing figures.
There were 14,864 people in emergency accommodation, including 4,510 children in 2,092 families, during the last full week of the month. This represents a slight decrease on the record 15,199 people living in emergency accommodation a month earlier.
Homeless charities say there is often a temporary decline in homelessness in December, with relatives taking people in over Christmas. They said the figures should be seen against a 12 per cent increase in overall homelessness last year and a 14 per cent rise in the number of children in emergency accommodation.
The numbers, counted during the week of December 23th to 29th, do not include people sleeping rough, couch-surfing and in domestic violence refuges. Unaccommodated asylum seekers are also excluded from the total.
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In Dublin, where the crisis is most acute, there were 10,686 people, including 3,366 children, 1,467 families, in emergency accommodation – a 9 per cent increase in comparison to December 2023.
Catherine Kenny, chief executive of Dublin Simon Community, said it welcomed the slight fall in numbers but “we are still unable to accept the injustice of almost 15,000 without a place to call home”.
“As one of the wealthiest nations in the world, we cannot and should not tolerate a society where so many are left without the basic human necessity of shelter,” she said.
“The Government should take little comfort in the minor reduction in the numbers in emergency accommodation services.
“It is not uncommon for these numbers to dip around Christmas time as some people find other places to stay. A partial decrease does not take away from the fact that there are thousands without the comfort of a home.”
Pat Dennigan, chief executive of Focus Ireland, said it was encouraging that the new programme for government includes a commitment to reducing and working towards ending homelessness by 2030.
“There is now an opportunity to develop detailed plans so this can be achieved,” he said. “As a first step, new [housing] Minister James Browne and the local authorities must deliver on the programme’s commitment to ensure that long-term homeless families benefit from the increased supply of social housing.”
Mr Dennigan also said there needs to be “major investment” in critical wraparound supports, such as mental health services, care work and community development, “so people can not only secure housing but stay housed”.
The Salvation Army described the statistics as a “deafening wake-up call” for the new Government and said it is witnessing a spike in homelessness across every age group.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said a “seasonal drop” in homeless numbers has occurred for the last number of years as family and friends “do everything they can to keep loved ones from spending Christmas in emergency accommodation”.
However, he highlighted the year-on-year increases in overall and child homelessness, which he said “shows that the crisis is getting worse”.
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