The number of people accessing homeless services in Ireland has dropped slightly according to the latest Government figures.
The Department of Housing said there were 10,253 people in emergency accommodation in the State in May.
It marks a drop of 125 on April.
The figures include 3,749 children – also down on the 3,794 recorded in April.
There were 1,700 families in the system, which marks a drop of 29 on the previous month.
May homeless figures released today show a decrease of 125 people from April figures.
While this is welcome we would air on the side of caution as 1606 people were reclassified last year so we hope this isn't the case here.
Beware of false dawns.#RaiseTheRoof #AskWhy pic.twitter.com/DTtmz2sJsr— ICHHDUBLIN (@ICHHDUBLIN) June 28, 2019
The Simon Communities welcomed the decrease but warned that the figure has risen 4% since this time last year.
Wayne Stanley, the charity’s national spokesperson there is no sign we have turned a corner on the homeless crisis.
“The reality is that these numbers remain far too high,” he said.
“We must remember that these numbers are a snapshot of those affected, as various people, such as those who are experiencing ‘hidden homelessness,’ are not included in these figures.”
He said the crisis is “driven by our struggling housing system,” adding “we must not allow this situation to continue.”
“With a dwindling supply of affordable rented accommodation and soaring rental costs, it’s clear our for-profit private rented sector is not delivering the affordable homes needed to respond to this crisis,” he said.
“The Simon Communities have long said it is vital the State, in conjunction with Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, continue to build and invest in social and affordable housing and we renew those calls in response to these latest figures.”
