CONCERN HAS BEEN expressed over a “significant spike” in deaths among the homeless in Dublin.

The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive has recorded 39 to date in 2020.

That figure is higher than the number of deaths in the whole of 2019 (34) and 2018 (35).

The figures follow the “unprecedented” death of five homeless people Dublin in one week in late July. 

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has urged the Government to act.

“The figure to date in 2020 stands at 39, higher than previous years, this is especially shocking given that the year isn’t near over yet,” he said.

“Another deeply worrying trend is the significant spike in deaths recorded in July and August.

“Between January and June of this year there were an average of three or four homeless deaths per month, but in July 10 people died, and a further eight people in August.”

Tóibín said there are heartbreaking stories of many young people behind the numbers.

He said the Government “must step up to the plate”.

“I can see no concrete action from the Government in response to these skyrocketing statistics,” he said.

In July 2020, 8,728 individuals were in emergency accommodation, a small increase since June that had marked the fifth month in a row that numbers using this service has fallen. Within this cohort were 6,077 adults and 2,651 children, including 1,142 families.

According to the Department of Housing, 1,467 adults and their dependents exited homelessness in April, May and June during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak during which time a moratorium on evictions and rent freezes were introduced.

• THIS HOSTEL LIFE – Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to probe the cost of emergency accommodation in hotels, hubs and B&Bs around the country. See how you can make this investigation happen here.

- With reporting from Adam Daly