Ireland's urgent need for addressing its housing predicament demands attention
In an effort to combat the rising homelessness and housing crisis in Ireland, proposed solutions are centred around expanding social housing supply and enhancing government intervention through coordinated, humane, and strategic actions.
The expansion of social housing stock is a key aspect of the strategy. Experts and agencies highlight the urgent need to increase the availability of affordable, secure social housing. This would help reduce reliance on emergency accommodation and private rentals, which are in short supply and expensive.
Stronger government coordination and responsibility are also crucial. Calls have been made for local authorities and government bodies to work collaboratively, especially for vulnerable groups like families leaving direct provision (asylum seekers) and older adults experiencing a sharp rise in homelessness. Local authorities have been criticized for inconsistent responses and failure to provide timely access to emergency accommodation.
Holistic and humane approaches are advocated by agencies like Crosscare and Depaul. The government is urged to avoid ad hoc or unjust alternatives, such as tented accommodations far from established support networks. Instead, planned, humane responses that maintain social supports and connections for homeless people, particularly vulnerable populations, are encouraged.
Budgetary focus on prevention and support is another important factor. Ahead of the 2026 budget, there is strong advocacy for ensuring sufficient resourcing not only for housing supply but also for a broad spectrum of homelessness prevention measures and supports.
Addressing specific vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, families, youth, and older adults, is also a priority. Recent trends, such as the 104% increase in homelessness among those over 65 since 2020, have led to calls for age-appropriate responses and targeted interventions to meet the diverse needs of the homeless population.
The long-term goal of housing stability is shared by organizations like Simon Communities. They promote the vision that every person has the right to a secure and affordable home, with homelessness being rare, brief, and met with holistic crisis responses.
In related news, Sinn Fein politician Mr. Pat Sheehan has advocated for a referendum on a right to housing. He believes that the next government will have a minister of state with responsibility for homelessness, who will have the necessary powers to drive and implement cross-departmental action to tackle homelessness. Mr. Sheehan also suggests a dedicated role in government for homelessness to drive policy changes.
As the election date approaches, housing remains a key issue. The latest housing statistics indicate a possible victory for the rival party, Fianna Fáil in 2024. The majority of people recorded as homeless were based in Dublin, with 549 adults found to be in emergency accommodation. In the Southwest region (Cork and Kerry), 183 children were said to be homeless.
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien stated that increased housing supply is the solution to homelessness. Prime Minister Simon Harris announced a snap election in Ireland for Friday, 29 November. Among those in emergency accommodation, 4,561 children from 2,133 families were recorded.
Historic underinvestment in housing supply has been blamed by Alan Barrett, Director of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). In September 2024, there were 14,760 people in emergency accommodation in Ireland.
In other news, funding has been granted to help tackle homelessness in Surrey. No expiry date has been set for energy price hikes this winter.
The proposed housing policy emphasizes expanding social housing stock to increase the availability of affordable, secure homes, thereby decreasing the reliance on temporary accommodation and private rentals.
To mitigate the rising homelessness among specific vulnerable groups like the elderly, families, and youth in Ireland, targeted interventions and age-appropriate responses are advocated.
