652 homeless people in Louth not provided with emergency accommodation

652 people who made contact with Louth County Council, declaring themselves homeless, and were deemed homeless but were not provided with emergency homeless accommodation or a HAP/social housing tenancy since January 2022, with no bed available being the reason for 328 of them.

This was some of the information provided to Cllr Emma Cutlip in response to a question she had submitted to the local authority ahead of the October meeting.

Cllr Cutlip's question asked: "To ask for the period between January 2022 to the present, the number of people who made contact with the local authority because they considered themselves to be homeless but were not provided with emergency homeless accommodation or a HAP/social housing tenancy; the breakdown of the reasons emergency accommodation or HAP/social housing tenancy was not provided in each case, and if the executive will make a statement on the matter."

In the response provided to Cllr Cutlip, Director of Services, Social Development, Ger Murphy, gave the following response:

• Number of people who made contact with the local authority because they considered themselves to be homeless but were not provided with emergency homeless accommodation or a HAP/social housing tenancy: 955
• Number of people who made contact with the local authority declaring themselves homeless, were deemed homeless but were not provided with emergency homeless accommodation or a HAP/social housing tenancy: 652
• Breakdown of the reasons emergency accommodation or HAP/social housing tenancy was not provided in each case:
  • Client assessed as "making themselves homeless" count - 120
  • Client assessed as non-HRC compliant - 16
  • Client refused accommodation engagement - 88
  • No bed available - 328
  • Prevention work carried out - placement not required count - 55
  • Provider refused client - barred - 1
  • Referred to another local authority count - 44
  • Total - 652