The number of people experiencing homelessness in the north west remains at crisis level, a new report reveals.
There were 104 adults and 34 children in emergency accommodation in the region in November.
That compares to 140 (101 adults and 39 children) a month earlier.
The northwest region, which includes Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, had 15 families in emergency accommodation in the last week of November.
The monthly homeless report from the Department of Housing shows a grim 26.8% increase in homeless figures since the previous year. Across the country, 11,542 people faced into the New Year in homelessness, which is a new record high.
Wayne Stanley, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said: “The actions taken while the current moratorium is in place will go a long way to defining what can be achieved in homelessness in the coming year. In the face of the homelessness crisis, the Government took the important step of bringing in the moratorium on evictions. Now we need to see momentum on the provision of secure affordable accommodation to those in homelessness in the coming weeks and throughout 2023. Otherwise, we are facing into ongoing extensions and renewals of the eviction ban and that’s not a long-term solution.
“It is timely to reflect that 11,542 people living in emergency accommodation only a year ago seemed unthinkable. 2023 needs to be a year of delivery for those at the sharpest end of the ongoing housing crisis or we will see the unthinkable surpassed and redefined each month.
“In the short term, this means doing more with what we have, and looking to the allocation of current local authority housing and vacancy in the general housing stock.
“We need to see more innovation in housing provision in 2023. We welcome the focus on rapid build homes and will be calling on Government to ensure that innovation in this area is driven forward. We would also highlight again the need for the insertion of a right to housing in our constitution.”
