The Department of Housing said it represents a drop of 177 people accessing emergency accommodation in May when 6,046 adults and 2,653 children were listed as living in emergency accommodation.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said despite the slight decrease, “the number of people and families in homelessness is simply too high”.
He said: “One of my main priorities as minister will be to accelerate the numbers of people exiting homelessness and to reduce the time that people spend in emergency accommodation.
“Improved delivery of social and affordable housing will be key but we will also be focusing on increasing the levels of supports to households with complex needs.”
‘Our absolute priority is providing homes for people’ welcome words from Minidter @DarraghOBrienTD as he visits our site in Dublin today. pic.twitter.com/kMbULVzWT3
Advertisement— Respond Housing (@RespondHousing) July 31, 2020
Homeless Charity Focus Ireland welcomed June’s figures, but said it has “grave concern” that weaknesses in the Government’s legislation to extend protection to renters impacted by the pandemic will lead to a new surge in homelessness.
The Simon Communities of Ireland national spokesman, Wayne Stanley, said the the reduction in the number of families in emergency accommodation is due to the moratorium on evictions.
Mr Stanley said this ban on evictions is set to end on August 1.
“This will see more families having to enter homelessness in the months ahead, reversing the really progressive trend we have all worked so hard to achieve in the last months. In turn, homeless services will be stretched given public health requirements around social distancing,” he said.
