A TOTAL OF 14 babies were born into homeless charity Depaul’s services last year, and one in four service users of the charity reported substance abuse issues.

Depaul published its 2022 annual report today. In total, 7,455 people – 5,808 adults and 1,647 children – were supported by the charity last year, which provides prevention, family and addiction support, housing, and emergency accommodation services.

According to the report, 202 lives were directly saved by Depaul staff in the Republic of Ireland through the administration of Naloxone – a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

Depaul scaled up its services significantly last year in response to the growing homeless crisis, and a total of 763 families came through its services, a 60% increase from 2021. Over 1,600 children were also supported, up from 822 in 2021.

About 40% of all users were aged between 18-30, with Depaul saying that many came directly from the care system.

“We are proud to have led through this turbulent year with a strong and significant response, continuing to provide solutions during this period of unprecedented housing shortages,” said Depaul CEO, David Carrol.

“We could not have achieved what we did without the support of the Depaul team, the volunteers and supporters. However, as we recognise our achievements, we must continue to acknowledge that addressing homelessness requires more than temporary solutions.

Urgent early interventions are essential to break the cycle of dependency, especially for vulnerable individuals, preventing homelessness from becoming an intergenerational norm.

Carrol called for further Government support in the upcoming Budget 2024 for those facing homelessness in Ireland. The charity identified housing, homeless healthcare, and tackling the recruitment and retention crisis as three key areas that needed particular investment.