The Simon Communities in Ireland have said that the latest nationwide emergency accommodation figures released by the Department of Environment this week show that the homeless and housing crisis is getting worse.

The figures show further increases in adults, families and children who are stuck in emergency accommodation; with 3,372 adults, 707 families which reflects a 76% increase since January and 1,496 children which reflects a 72% increase since January. According to the figures, 2,413 single people are currently staying in emergency accommodation.

Simon Communities spokesperson Niamh Randall said that the rise in numbers was very disturbing. “These latest nationwide emergency accommodation figures from August highlight the growing movement of more and more people from housing into homelessness. Homelessness is a key agenda item and we are once again asking the Government to make an emergency intervention to help turn this crisis around.”

Ms Randall said that an increase in rent supplement was urgently needed, as the current limits are pushing people into homelessness. “This needs to happen alongside rent certainty measures, which were promised in February of this year but as yet have failed to materialise."

"We cautiously welcomed the modular demonstration project unveiled last week but there remains much detail to be worked out. This is all just taking too long and yet month after month more men, women and children are trapped in emergency accommodation, are at risk of homelessness and are experiencing the stress and trauma of homelessness and housing instability. The State must make better use of existing empty state properties and local authority homes,” she said.

IMPACT trade union’s motion to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference this year called for a coordinated plan to ensure housing provision, an end to homelessness and called for initiatives to ensure adequate security of tenure, including the regulation of rents through an indexation system similar to systems in use in other EU countries. IMPACT represents staff working in homeless services across the community and voluntary sector.

See simonhomelessforecast.ie