Budget 2020 has seen the housing crisis eclipsed by a possible Brexit crisis, and that deepens the complexity of solving the biggest and most widespread issue facing modern Ireland. That’s according to the Simon Communities of Ireland. While welcoming the Government’s commitments to Rebuilding Ireland, it warns that much more substantive and timely interventions are needed to solve Ireland’s housing crisis.

The Simon Communities in Ireland have said that it is dismaying to see the numbers of people who remain trapped in emergency accommodation climb again, with an increase of 63 people accessing emergency accommodation in August. The charity said that the new figures should be a ‘call to action’ for Government ahead of the announcement of Budget 2020 in October.

The Simon Communities of Ireland have said that figures released today in the Residential Tenancy Board’s (RTB) Rent Index for Q4 2018 highlight the difficulties faced by people relying on the private rental sector for secure and affordable accommodation.

The Simon Communities of Ireland have said it is deeply disappointing that the number of people dependent on emergency accommodation has passed 10,000 for the first time, in spite of the enormous efforts of local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and NGOs alike.