Over 10,000 people are availing of emergency accommodation across the country, including almost 3,000 children, new homeless figures have revealed.
Homeless charities have also warned they’re meeting an increasing number of women looking for safe accommodation and they can’t keep up with demand.
The Department of Housing report shows there are 10,049 people now without a home during the week of April 18 to April 24, 2022.
It’s the first time in two years that the figure exceeded 10,000 and it includes 7,105 adults and 2,944 children.
The number of families accessing emergency accommodation during this period was 1,308.The figure is an increase of 224 people compared to March when 9,825 individuals were homeless.
Sinn Fein spokesperson on Housing Eoin O Broin TD has called on Minister Darragh O’Brien to take urgent action as the number of those experiencing homelessness returns to record levels.
He said: “This government is to blame for this.
“It, like the government before it, while failing to provide an adequate level of new real social housing, has also failed to address the shrinking private rental sector.
“As a result, more and more families are experiencing homelessness.
“We know that more and more landlords are selling up and the issuing of notices to quit from landlords are responsible for more than half of all evictions.
“The squeeze in the rental market in turn makes it harder for them to source new accommodation.
“We need to see immediate action from the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien.
“The solutions have been provided to him by NGOs and opposition parties.”
He said Minister O’Brien must allow councils to buy rental properties where HAP or RAS tenants have an eviction notice, to prevent the family becoming homeless.
Director of advocacy with Focus Ireland Mike Allen said that the "real progress" that was made during the pandemic to reduce the level of homelessness is being "so quickly eroded".
He told RTE: "We've seen the numbers start to go up since the middle of last year, when we see all our services across the country, we're seeing more and more people coming in.
"People are getting evicted from properties either because the landlord is selling up, or because they've fallen behind on their rent because of the HAP (Housing Assistant Payment).
"The long term-solution is build more homes. We all know that while we're waiting for that, let's not destroy people's lives.”
Charities that work in homelessness say the increase in the number of single adults is of particular concern.
Head of policy and volunteering at Dublin Simon Community, Pat Greene said they once again find themselves "sounding the alarm on a situation that is now overwhelming the system.”
He said their outreach teams on the streets are now meeting an increasing number of women who need access to safe female accommodation, adding that availability "cannot keep up with demand".
Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan said ending homelessness should be a political priority, “but it has fallen off the government’s agenda”.
He said: “An obvious place to start is to abolish no-fault evictions.
“We know that people who lose their accommodation in the private rental sector, through no fault of their own, are at a high risk of homelessness right now.
“The Housing Assistance Payment must also be reviewed. With rapidly rising rents, the current limits are too low.
“Ultimately, we need to see a step-change in the delivery of affordable, social and cost-rental homes. That is the only long-term way this crisis can be solved.”
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