Ireland’s housing crisis has been garnering a lot of media attention, particularly in the last week since the General Election was announced on February 3rd.
The growing number of people in emergency accommodation simply cannot be ignored, and new statistics reported by RTÉ compiled by The Simon Communities of Ireland show the true extent of the problem.
The number of families in emergency accommodation has increased by a massive 90% with 775 families living in emergency accommodation at the end of 2015 compared to 440 at the end of 2014.
The highest increases in people becoming homeless were reported in Dublin, Louth, Kildare and Galway and there are currently 1,616 children in emergency accommodation in the country.
According to Niamh Randall, Simon Communities national spokesperson, almost 95% of properties available to rent are beyond the reach of people in State support.
Currently, 90,000 people are on the social housing waiting list.
If the housing crisis is affecting you or someone you know, be sure to raise the issue with election candidates in your constituency.
Lead Image via Amnesty International
