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The number of people experiencing homelessness is now 10,264. This includes families and individuals living in government-funded emergency and temporary accommodation. It does not include women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence, households who are hidden homeless and involuntarily sharing or those who are sofa surfing.
Despite an exercise completed by government last year, which removed approximately 1,600 people from homeless figures, the number still exceeds 10,000.
The number of people in the Mid-West living in emergency accommodation is 349 and in Limerick 279. Of these, some 16% are young adults aged between 18 and 24 years.
The number of families experiencing homeless increased by 93 from January to February 2019, amounting to 1,707 families in total.
These figures are most worrying and a clear indication that current government policy is not working. We need a radical policy shift to make meaningful inroads into reducing homeless figures.
Earlier this week the UN said that Ireland was one of six countries that was ‘failing to regulate corporate landlords and protect tenants’ human right to secure housing’. It also gave the stark warning that ‘while gold is a commodity, housing is not, it’s a human right.’ These grave warnings must be heeded and herald a new housing policy in this country.