Homelessness in Ireland hit a record last month, with almost 11,000 people receiving emergency accommodation.
The latest figures from the Department of Housing show 10,975 people sought emergency accommodation between September 19 and 25, surpassing the previous record for August.
A total of 10,805 individuals used emergency housing in August.
The number of persons using emergency housing in the State has increased for nine months running, and September marks the third month in a row that the number has reached a record high.
In the final week of September, 7,633 adults in total sought out emergency housing. 4,832 of them were men and 2,801 were women.
With 5,356 homeless adults reported there last month, Dublin was home to the majority of those individuals.
3,342 children were also noted as having used emergency housing.
In the final week of September, 704 families reported being homeless, up from 654 in August, while 413 new families checked into emergency housing, up from 402 in August.
Focus Ireland responded to the record high by claiming that the monthly data do not accurately reflect the problem.
According to Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan, "It's a fact that the monthly homeless figures are now a representation of people solely in emergency accommodation, the actual number of people homeless is in fact far greater."
"Unlike many European nations, Ireland avoided having families sleep in tents or cars even at the height of the homeless problem over the past ten years. However, this bleak possibility is now a reality.
"The long-term solution is more social and affordable housing, but in the short term, we urgently need more emergency housing since homeless agencies like Focus Ireland's frontline staff are already operating at full capacity.
In order to prevent further trauma for families across the nation, the outlook for this winter is growing bleaker by the day.
The Dáil and Seanad have approved legislation that would allow for an eviction ban, and President Michael D. Higgins is expected to sign it into law soon.
According to the law, evictions are prohibited between the first of November and the first of April.
The legislation's passing yesterday was praised by the housing minister, Darragh O'Brien, who noted that it will allow for a temporary hold on evictions this winter.
According to the minister, the government is "extremely aware" of the mounting demands on homeless services, the dearth of rental housing, and the difficulties individuals will face this winter.
The speedy approval of the bill by the Dáil and Seanad, according to the speaker, "demonstrates our united commitment to protecting renters during this extraordinary moment by delaying any "no fault" tenancy terminations from taking place this winter."
While a no-fault eviction ban is vital, according to Denigan, what is "crucial" is what the housing minister will do throughout the ban's five-month duration to address the underlying issue.
In order to combat vacancy, he stated, "real policies and resources must be deployed, and a suite of measures must be put in place to incentivize landlords to remain in the market.
When the earlier eviction ban during the Covid-19 lockdowns was released, there was a sharp rise in homelessness; this must not happen again.
The record-breaking number is "terrible reinforcement of the necessity for the moratorium on evictions established by Government this week," according to Wayne Stanley, head of policy and communication at Simon Communities of Ireland.
It must also be interpreted as a call to action to head off the crisis while the months the moratorium is in effect. On issues like vacancies, for example, that will necessitate a new emphasis and ambition, he said.
"We are confident that the eviction moratorium will keep people—and families in particular—in their homes and prevent them from having to spend the winter months in temporary housing or even on the streets. It is important to understand that while this is a positive reaction to the crisis, it is not a solution.
According to Stanley, Simon Communities of Ireland has recommended that the government concentrate on the 166,000 unoccupied homes that were discovered during the census in order to enhance the supply of social housing over the next two years.
Between those on the social housing waiting list and those on HAP and Rent Supplement tenancies, we have about 120,000 individuals who need social housing, he said.
"If the Repair and Lease Scheme is redesigned and improved to bring just 3% of vacant homes into the public housing system over the next two years, this would give us an additional 5,000 homes to be allocated to those who need them, on top of those committed to in Housing for All," the author writes.
