At least 27 pregnant women were homeless in Ireland last year

Women make up half of all homeless people in Ireland, with many also being pregnant.

Approximately 42 percent of homeless people around the country are women, according to the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI). This is considerably higher than the EU homeless average, which sees between 20 and 33 percent being female. The number is even higher in Dublin, with around 44 percent of homeless people being women. The NWCI's national homeless figures also showed that 27 pregnant women were among the country's homeless population in 2017. Today on the National Day of Action against Homelessness and the Housing Crisis, the group has launched a campaign to highlight the impact of homelessness on women's health. They are calling on the government to address the "alarming" number of women and children who are homeless in Ireland. Dr Cliona Loughnane, Women’s Health Coordinator at the National Women’s Council of Ireland said that the housing crisis is "clearly a women's issue." She said: "The traditional image of homelessness in Ireland has been of single men rough sleeping. However, today’s reality of homelessness is very different, and not enough of a focus is given to the female face of homelessness. "Women make up 42 percent of the adult homeless population nationwide, while one in three of those without a home is a child." Dr Loughnane went on: "Women often enter homelessness with a history of domestic violence and trauma. They may have spent time in hospital, prison or other institutional settings. "Homeless women can be separated from their children or wider family and experience significant feelings of stigma and shame." Dr Loughnane also said that women are more likely to be in "hidden homeless" situations, living with friends or family members rather than presenting to housing authorities or other service providers. Almost 10,000 people were homeless in Ireland last year.