28th August 2026
Simon Communities of Ireland has criticised the lack of political urgency around Ireland’s homelessness crisis, following the latest increase in the number of men, women and children living in emergency accommodation.
The latest figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show that 17,527 people were living in emergency accommodation in July 2026, an increase of 45 people on June.
Over the 12 months since July 2025, the data reveals an increase of 1,469 (9.1%) in emergency accommodation:
- 2,724 were families, marking a 16% (381) increase over the year
- 5,659 were children, showing a 13% (645) rise in the same period
- 2,104 were 18-24-year-olds, marking a 9% (172) increase over the year
- 272 were over 65-year-olds, marking a 6% (16) increase over the year
The figures come as the Government has brought TDs back to Leinster House during the summer recess to discuss rising fuel prices.
Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:
“Today TDs have cut short their summer holidays to return to the Dáil to discuss fuel prices. While we welcome action to support households facing rising fuel costs, we need to see that same sense of urgency when it comes to homelessness.
Ireland’s homelessness crisis has deepened over the last decade, and there’s still no sense of urgency from Government. We need political leadership that matches the scale of the crisis. The Government must act now to prevent people from losing their homes, increase the supply of affordable and social housing, and ensure there are clear pathways out of emergency accommodation.
It is increasingly frustrating that homelessness does not appear to be seen as a crisis by our elected representatives. Behind every one of these figures is a person, a family, a child or an older person who does not have a place to call home.
We cannot continue to respond to homelessness once someone has already lost their home and entered emergency accommodation. Prevention must be the priority. That means identifying people and families at risk of homelessness earlier, protecting people from losing their homes in the first place and ensuring there are realistic pathways into secure, affordable housing.
If TDs can return to the Dáil during their summer break when they believe an issue requires immediate attention, then surely the thousands of people living without a permanent home deserve the same political urgency. Homelessness is a crisis. It is not going away, and it will not be solved by emergency accommodation alone.”
ENDS
For further information contact Aileen Gaskin 086 166 2160 / communications@simoncommunity.com
