THE NUMBER OF people living in emergency accommodation increased last month to a record 14,966 people.

According to the latest figures from the Department of Housing, 10,321 adults and 4,645 children were in emergency accommodation in October. 

It represents an increase of 206 people, compared to September. It is the tenth consecutive month that the number of people in emergency housing has risen.

Charities and members of the opposition have long said that there is a need for Government to take radical action and stressed the importance of implementing the Housing Commission report, published earlier this year.

Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said that many at the ballot box will view today’s vote as a “referendum on how the housing crisis has been managed”.

“The real test for the next Government will be reducing these numbers — not by simply managing homelessness but by moving people from emergency accommodation and the streets into social or affordable,” Kenny said.

Again, Kenny and the Simon Communities said whoever forms the next government must recognise “the multi-faceted nature of the homelessness issue” and that the only way to address it is through a cross-government approach.

Focus Ireland’s CEO, Pat Dennigan, said that homelessness as risen by 47% since the last general election. He criticised political parties for their “vague and aspirational” proposals seen in manifestos.

“It is essential that this political and policy neglect is reversed during negotiations on Government formation and a new Programme for Government,” Focus Ireland said.

Dennigan reiterated the need to building more homes and echoed calls for collaborative work to take place within the Dáil in order to solve the homelessness crisis, adding that the country needs to prioritise and support people who are homeless.

Homelessness charity DePaul also suggested that apathy was growing among political parties towards solving the homelessness issue. David Carroll, Chief Executive of the organisation, called for the incoming government to take action.

“The time has passed for inaction or indecision – we are now faced with levels of homelessness we have never witnessed before,” he said, adding that it is “hard” to understand why the public and politicians are “accepting” this level of homelessness.

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said today’s figures show why a “change of government is needed”. He said that voters today have the opportunity to fix the housing crisis by voting for his party.

Social Democrats’ housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan also said that the figures reflect a “monumental failure” to tackle the homelessness by the outgoing government. He said that he and his party have a plan to do so.