26th September 2025
Homelessness in Ireland has increased for the eight consecutive month this year, with the latest figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage showing that 16,353 men, women, and children were living in emergency accommodation in August 2025.
This represents an increase of 295 people (1.8%) compared to July 2025. 5,145 of these are children.
Today’s Simon Week event in Galway raised the issue of retiring into homelessness – the challenges and the solutions. Since 2020, there has been a 76.2% increase in people aged over 65 experiencing homelessness – rising from 143 in August 2020 to 252 in August 2025.
Over the 12 months since August 2024, the data reveals a staggering increase of 1,867 people (12.9%) in emergency accommodation:
- 2,391 were families, marking a 13.9% (292) increase over the year
- 5,145 were children, showing a 16.4% (726) rise in the same period
- 1,950 were 18-24 year olds, marking a 12.1% (210) increase over the year
- 252 were over 65 year olds, marking a 12.5% (28) increase over the year
These figures do not represent a static number of people in Emergency Accommodation. It is important to note that some people do exit homelessness, but unfortunately the number of people entering homelessness continues to be greater than the number exiting.
Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:
We are astounded to see the incomprehensible increase in child homelessness in just a month. How has this happened? The Government has serious questions to answer. This is the largest monthly increase in the number of children in homelessness this year. In August, the month before starting back at school. Utterly, utterly shameful and heartbreaking.
The foundations must be laid in Budget 2026. If the Government cares and is serious about reducing homelessness, then housing and outcome-driven investment must form a central plank of Budget 2026. Final budgetary decisions are now being made and we are pleading with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to show that they care about ending homelessness. The solutions are ready – we now need the political will to deliver them.
Throughout Simon Week, we have been travelling the country and speaking to communities about solutions to homelessness. The message is clear – we need to put a focus on outcomes. The investment and the supply of homes simply aren’t there.
Prof. Margot Kushel MD, University of California spoke at today’s Simon Week event in Galway and said:
To address homelessness, we need to focus on three areas: Prevention, Mitigation, and Ending Homelessness. The root cause of homelessness is the disconnect between housing prices and people’s ability to afford them. The single most important thing we can do to prevent and end homelessness is to address this disconnect. We need to focus on preventing homelessness from occurring.
For older adults, we need to ensure that their wages or pensions are adequate to maintain housing and we need to be sure that when those at risk endure these life crises – there is a safety net for them. We need to adjust and support our homeless response system so that there are appropriate age-related services – emergency housing and services that is mobility accessible and healthcare that is prepared to address the conditions of homelessness and ageing. For those who have been homeless for a long time and experience both mental health and substance use issues and ageing – we need to ensure that systems to treat these are able to handle the combined issues of behavioral health and age-related crises.
We should focus on ending homelessness as soon as possible – using a Housing First framework that provides subsidised housing without preconditions – with the services and supports that older adults need. The time to act is now. As a physician and researcher, I can say that “there is no medicine as powerful as housing.”
The Simon Communities annual Simon Week takes place from the 22nd to 26th September. For more, see www.simon.ie
ENDS
For further information contact Aileen Gaskin 087 7724 717 /
