The number of homeless people has risen to a new record, with more than 12,400 people gaining access to temporary accommodation last month.
The latest figures from the Department of Housing show a total of 12,441 people were in temporary homes in May – including 3,699 children, reports RTE.
That number had risen to 182 the previous month when the eviction ban was lifted.
Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien said he was disappointed with the development, but said the increase was much lower than the increase seen in the last two months.
He said while this is to be welcomed, it is no comfort to those in temporary accommodation.
The growth “speak to the challenge we have in this space,” Mr O’Brien said, reports RTE.
The minister also said the data showed that the tsunami of homelessness that was predicted after the eviction ban was lifted was not caused by government action.
“The decision we took to end what was a temporary moratorium was a difficult one but was absolutely the correct one. I think if you look back at some of the commentary, particularly from the opposition at the time were speaking of a tsunami and much larger homeless numbers, that has not happened because we’ve been able to put in mitigation measures,” he added, reports RTE,
DePaul Chief Executive David Carroll described the numbers as “disappointing” and said “an incredible amount of work is still needed alongside significant additional funding” to get people out of temporary housing, reports RTE,
Peter McVerry Trust’s Chief Executive Francis Doherty said homeless numbers had to “need to turn the corner” and get the number of people in homelessness in “a downward trajectory,” reports RTE.
“And we are not actually fairly distributing the new housing that’s coming on stream, to make sure that people who have been homeless for the longest are actually benefitting from it,” he said, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.