There has been an uptick in rates of homeless individuals, with a current total of 14,486 people seeking refuge in emergency housing. This includes different groups such as children, the elderly, young adults, and families.
The Department of Housing released recent figures on Friday, revealing that during the week of 19 to 25 August, there were 10,067 adults and 4,419 children resorting to homelessness accommodations. These children were part of 2,099 families, of which 58 per cent were single parent headed.
Among the adults, 6,602 were homeless on their own. A total of 224 individuals aged 65 or older were reported to be residing in emergency shelters, accounting for 2 per cent of the adult numbers. Meanwhile, 1,740 aged 18 to 24 comprised 17 per cent of all homeless adults.
The numbers do not include rough sleepers, asylum seekers without homes, individuals sofa surfing, or victims of domestic violence residing in protective shelters. These groups are recorded in separate data gathered by various government departments.
Compared to August 2023, the recent figure indicates a 14 per cent hike, when 12,691 individuals were using emergency accommodations. The data also indicates a 13 per cent escalation in child homelessness from 3,895 children the previous year, and 16 per cent pike in single adults from 5,690 a year before.
In regard to nationality, 53.5 per cent (5,392) of adults in homelessness shelters were Irish, 22 per cent (2,203) were from EEA countries or the UK, while the remaining 24.5 per cent (2,472) were non-EEA.
In Dublin, the location with the highest rates of homeless people, data shows 10,481 individuals in emergency accommodations, including 3,273 children from 1,467 families. The figures reveal 4,664 homeless single adults in the capital.
Examining the nationality of adults in Dublin’s homeless accommodations, the figures show that 46.8 per cent (3,335) were Irish, 24.4 per cent (1,764) were from the EEA or UK, and 29 per cent (2,109) were non-EEA.