Homelessness: Record 17,885 people in emergency accommodation last month

THE NUMBER OF people in emergency accommodation increased by 358 last month to 17,885, a new record. 

According to the latest figures from the Department of Housing, some 12,055 adults and 5,830 children were accessing emergency accommodation in August.

Some 7,304 of those were single households, while 2,800 were family households.

Figures published by the department last month saw 17,527 people in emergency accommodation during the month of July. Of those, a record 5,659 were children.

Homelessness levels first passed 17,000 at the start of 2026 and hit a record high of 17,548 during the month of April.

Reacting to the latest figures, the Simon Communities of Ireland called on the government to make homeless prevention a priority in Budget 2027, which will be announced in less than two weeks.

“This is the worst it’s ever been,” the charity’s executive director Ber Grogan said.

60 single adults and 358 more people than last month are recognised in these figures. This dramatic increase is totally unacceptable.

“With Budget 2027 just around the corner, we are pleading with Government to allocate budget for homeless prevention. Homelessness has not featured in Budget speeches over the last two years. That is deeply disappointing and something has to change.”

Dublin Simon is also calling for a dedicated, fully funded Dublin strategy to address single-adult homelessness, warning that single people face particularly severe barriers to finding an affordable and secure home.

Of the 7,304 single adults in emergency accommodation nationally, 4,881 are in Dublin.

Depaul chief executive David Carroll said there is “a tangible frustration” among those working in the sector “at what is starting to feel like an acceptance and business as usual attitude by those with the responsibility and power to bring about change”.

“We cannot sleepwalk into accepting these or any homelessness figures as our new normal,” he said.

“Behind every statistic is an individual or family facing uncertainty and instability, and we cannot underestimate the impact that homelessness has on people’s lives.”

Carroll said the charity is strongly advocating for the need to intervene earlier to prevent homelessness, reduce reliance on temporary accommodation and ensure people have a clear pathway into permanent housing.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan also called on the government to use the upcoming budget “to provide sufficient funding as part of the repeatedly postponed Child and Family Homeless Action Plan, ensuring families are provided with much needed supports to remain in their homes”. 

“Every person deserves the safety, dignity and stability of a home. Yet thousands of children continue to grow up without that security, spending critical years of their lives in emergency accommodation,” he said.

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