Despite a 7% fall in the numbers accessing Emergency Accommodation year on year, the Simon Communities of Ireland have seen a 20% deterioration in the availability of affordable rental properties across the country.
The latest figures, from July 2021 from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government show 8,132 men, women and children were in homeless emergency accommodation in Ireland during July. This is a fall of 596 since July 2020 and rise of 1.5% since last month, June 2021.
- 4,816 were single adults, a 9.1% annual increase on the number in July 2020
- 930 families were homeless, an 18% annual fall on the number in July 2020, but a 0.2% decrease on last month, June 2021.
The sharp deterioration in affordable housing is concerning and may indicate that there will be an upward trend in those entering homelessness in the coming months.
Wayne Stanley, Simon Community of Irelands Spokesperson stated:
“Our recent quarterly Locked Out report has found a 20% deterioration in just three months in the availability of affordable rental properties across the country, and a 27% deterioration in six months.
This rapid drop in market supply has added to the chronic the lack of affordable housing in the market. We need to see action now to protect those at risk of homelessness and ensure there won’t be a sharp increase in those entering Emergency Accommodation in the coming months.”
ENDS
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E: communications@simoncommunity.com
About Simon Communities
The Simon Communities support over 18,000 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:
- 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
