Nearly 12,000 people were in emergency accommodation last month, yet another record high.
After a slight decrease in the figures published in February, figures for March increased by 2.1 per cent, with an additional 246 people being registered homeless. Some 11,988 recorded accessing emergency accommodation in March, including 3,472 children. The number of children in emergency accommodation increased by 99 between February and March.
While the press releases accompanying the monthly homelessness figure report usually only contain a link to the report, the Department of Housing stated in this press release that the "increase in homelessness recorded in March took place while the Winter Eviction Moratorium was still in effect".
Some 72 per cent of people recorded as homeless (6,137) were located in Dublin.
In addition to the monthly homelessness report, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien also published the Homeless Quarterly Progress Report for Quarter 1 of 2023.
There were 11,988 individuals accessing emergency accommodation at the end of quarter one, an increase of 356 individuals compared to the end of the last quarter of 2022 and an increase of 2,163 individuals (22 per cent) on the total recorded at the end of the first quarter of 2022.
There were 1,639 families accessing emergency accommodation at the end of quarter one of 2022, an increase of 45 families (3 per cent) in the last quarter of last year.
The report shows that during the first quarter of this year, a total of 1,454 adults, and their dependents, exited or were prevented from entering emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy being created. This represents an increase of 15 per cent on the same period last year.
Minister O’Brien said: "Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in the numbers of people in emergency accommodation despite the Winter Eviction Moratorium still being in effect in March. The situation is very challenging but the Government, local authorities and those in our NGO sectors are working together and making every effort to reduce homelessness. Tackling this issue is a Government priority.
"We know that increasing the supply of new homes, particularly social and affordable homes, is key to tackling homelessness. Supply is increasing and we are going in the right direction, as seen from record Completion and Commencement Notices figures for the first quarter of 2023.
"On Tuesday, I announced extra measures to get even more homes built and quicker, including scrapping development levies to stimulate more building activity and a scheme to kick-start the delivery of thousands more Cost Rental homes. These measures will further boost supply."
The Dublin Simon Community said that the number of people accessing emergency accommodation in March 2023 was up 25 per cent compared to last March. A spokesperson said: "Following on from the lifting of the eviction ban, we are seeing increased activity in our homelessness prevention services and experiencing a rise in enquiries from concerned tenants at risk of losing their homes and requiring our expertise and support.
"Single people account for almost half of the clients we work with in homelessness prevention and are especially vulnerable due to a lack of affordable and suitable accommodation. Additionally, barriers to accessing the Housing Assistance Payment are being reported on the ground, and some individuals are returning to our emergency services due to the lack of appropriate options for moving on from homelessness."
Focus Ireland, meanwhile, stressed the March figures, do not yet reflect the impact of the lifting of the eviction ban. It warned that the "real impact of lifting the eviction ban is yet to be felt" and that "ending the ban is causing widespread fear in the rental sector for all the people facing eviction and many others who are not yet at risk".
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