JUNE’S HOMELESSNESS STATISTICS, released today by the Department of Housing, show that the homeless population increased by 1.6% from May with some demographics at record levels.

1,246 young people, those aged 18-24, were homeless last month which is the highest amount of young homeless people recorded by the Department.

It’s also an increase of 468 (60%) year on year from 778 in June 2021. 

June was the sixth consecutive month in which the number of people in emergency homeless accommodation has risen.

There was also a record number of adults (7,421), male adults (4,789), people aged 25-44 (4,015) and people aged 45-65 (2,011) who were homeless.

10,492 were recorded as homeless, 5,177 of which were single adults.

This is a 2.4% increase from May (5,054 single adults). It’s also the highest number of single adults in homelessness on record.

Quarter 2 of 2022 shows a 10% decrease in the number of families presenting to emergency accommodation when compared to Quarter 1 (from 728 to 654).  

The report also shows that the number of new families entering emergency accommodation has fallen when compared to Quarter 1 by almost 14% (from 466 to 402). 

Commenting on the details contained in the reports published today, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, said:

“The continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation is a serious concern. The Government, local authorities and those in our NGO sectors are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Key to this is the delivery of new social housing and boosting overall supply.

“The Government is investing significantly in social and affordable housing, with a record €4 billion allocated for current and capital investment in housing this year alone.”

“Funding is in place to deliver 10,500 social homes, including 9,000 new build homes, building on the progress made last year when 9,183 new social homes were provided, a 17% increase on 2020.”

He added that the government had legislated to increase the notice to quit period for no fault evictions.

The minimum amount of notice a landlord must give a tenant with a tenancy of less than three years duration before evicting them has now been increased from 28 days to three months.

Also revealed in today’s figures was that Dublin had 71% of the adult homeless population (5,258), followed by Cork with 6.2% (466), Galway at 3.2% (240), and Limerick on 4.2% (313).

97 families exited emergency accommodation into a tenancy Dublin during the second quarter of the year, a 56% decrease on the 220 families who exited homelessness in the Dublin region in Q2 2021.

A total of 51 new supported tenancies commenced in Q2 2022, a government response to ending long-term homelessness among those with complex health and mental health needs.

Through the programme, 737 high-support need individuals, who were formerly rough sleepers or long-term users of emergency accommodation, have been housed and supported in long-term homes. 

In reaction to today’s statistics, the homelessness service Simon Communities issued this statement:

“At present, it is taking on average five months for housing applications to be processed. That’s five months of waiting just to get on the waiting list, which can then take several years to yield a house, depending on your situation.” 

The recommended stay in emergency accommodation is six months. Research has shown that the longer people stay in emergency accommodation, the more their physical and mental health declines as they begin to lose hope for the future.”

“If five out of the recommended six months is now being spent just waiting to join a years-long queue, what hope do these people have?”  

A spokesperson added that “we are getting to the point where homelessness is becoming tantamount to a life sentence”. 

Labour Party housing spokesperson Senator Rebecca Moynihan referred to the report as “disgraceful and represents a total systems failure and the wasted years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in power”

The Social Democrats have also urged the government to adopt measures to tackle this rising number, such as introducing a strict tax on vacant homes, ending no-fault evictions, increasing HAP and extending rent pressure zones nationwide.

“Homelessness has increased by over 31% in the past year – while child homelessness is up by 41% during the same period. These figures are a shocking indictment of the Government’s failed housing policy,” the party’s statement read.

“These figures do not include people sleeping rough on our streets, in tents and on couches.”