5th January 2024
A record 4,105 children faced into Christmas without a home – Simon Communities of Ireland
Figures released by the Department of Housing today show that the number of men, women and children in homelessness reached a new high of 13,514 in November. The Simon Communities of Ireland have expressed deep concern that these alarming levels of homelessness will continue to grow in 2024 if more solutions are not delivered.
The latest figures show an increase of 1,972 people in emergency accommodation (17%) in the 12 months since November 2022.
- 2,000 were families – a 24% (384) increase in the year.
- 4,105 were children– a 17% (611) increase in the year.
Wayne Stanley, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:
“This shocking level of homelessness documented in the figures released today must be placed into context. Each of the men, women, and 4,105 children that these figures represent are experiencing a preventable trauma.
That level of suffering demands action. We know that the primary solution to homelessness is a home. Up to very recently, Governments have been heavily reliant on the private rental market to address social housing need.
There are a multitude of reports that outline the difficulty of finding a home in the private rental market including our own Locked out of the Market report . This is no longer a viable answer to homelessness at the scale that we see today.
Addressing the current homelessness crisis will require Government to work with local authorities to ensure more secure affordable homes are made available to those in homelessness and that we see increased delivery of social housing in the years ahead.
There is also a need for a renewed commitment to keeping those at risk of homelessness in the home they have. Keeping to the commitment made in December 2022 to progress the Simon Homeless Prevention Bill and building the capacity of the ‘tenant in situ scheme’ where a local authority can purchase a home if the landlord is selling up are two actions that would help to prevent homelessness in 2024”.
ENDS
For further information contact Aileen Gaskin 087 7724 717 / communications@simoncommunity.com
About Simon Communities
The Simon Communities support over 22,000 men, women, and children. We have 50 years of experience providing homeless, housing and treatment services to people facing the trauma and stress of homelessness. We are a network of independent Communities based in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, the Midlands, the Mid West, the Northwest and the Southeast, responding to local needs and supported by a National Office in the areas of policy, research, communications and best practice. We share common values and ethos in tackling homelessness and, informed by our grassroots services, we campaign for more effective policies and legislation regionally, nationally and at European level.
Whatever the issue, Simon’s door is always open for as long as we are needed. For more information, please visit www.simon.ie
Services include:
- Early Intervention, Homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and resettlement.
- Street outreach, emergency accommodation and harm reduction
- Housing with support and Housing First services
- Homeless specific health and wellbeing services (counselling; addiction treatment and recovery; and mental health supports)
- Personal development, education, training, and employment services
- Food banks, drop-in centres and soup runs.
