THERE’S NOW DOUBLE the amount of people living in emergency accommodation compared to this time last year, according to the Simon Community.

The charity has released its annual report for 2014 which found that 5,000 people will spend Christmas in shelters, including 1,571 children.

The housing and homeless charity found a 20% increase in the number of people seeking its services over the past year.

It’s currently supporting almost 7,500 people who are experiencing homelessness across the country.

It also added the number of people in emergency accommodation is nearly double what it was  this time last year.

Niamh Randall, national spokesperson for the Simon Communities in Ireland said,  “Looking back on this year, we can see clearly that the homeless and housing crisis has continued largely unchecked.

Increased rents and a shortage of affordable housing is being blamed for the problem.

Randall added that, “Growing numbers of people are stuck in emergency accommodation trying to go about daily living; sleeping, eating, playing, doing homework all in the one tiny space.

“The trauma of this and the stress for those sharing dormitory style accommodation or the guarantee of a bed for only one night can have a long lasting impact.

We need to be able to cut through the red tape and respond quickly to this urgent need. Until we do that, more people will suffer, more people will end up homeless and more people will be trapped in emergency accommodation.

“With just over two weeks until we ring in the New Year it is very difficult to feel optimistic when looking at the current situation. We need urgent short term measures to ensure that housing is delivered to those who need it most.”

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