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27 Mar 2026

Dundalk Simon warns system is at capacity

Homelessness rises against a backdrop of rising Notices of Termination as Dundalk Simon warns the system is at capacity

Dundalk Simon warns system is at capacity

167 adults accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 16-22 February 2026 in the North East region

Reporter:

Donard McCabe

27 Mar 2026 9:00 PM

As the number of those in emergency accommodation rises in Louth, and across Ireland, Dundalk Simon Community warns that the system is operating at capacity, at a critical moment for housing policy. 
167 adults were reported as homeless in February 2026 in the North East region, up from 165 in January. Of the 167 adults: 153 were in Louth, and 14 were in Monaghan and Cavan combined.
 
Against a backdrop of rising termination notices and sustained cost-of-living pressures, Dundalk Simon Community says the sector is entering a period of heightened uncertainty. Demand for temporary accommodation is increasing, and capacity is at breaking point.
Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dundalk Simon Community, said:  “Today’s numbers are the last figures before the new tenancy rules came into effect, and they come at a moment of real concern across the sector.
"We are seeing evidence of multiple catalysts converging to create pressure: rising notices of termination (NOTs), affordability challenges, and now new legislation changes – all meeting a system that is already operating at its limits. The risk is that more people will be pushed into homelessness with fewer pathways out.”
“I am deeply concerned about the reports in the sector of the growing surge of NOTs in the private rental market. As NOTs continued to rise to the end of 2025, there is a frightening wave of demand for emergency accommodation for single and family households looming.
"Each notice represents a person or family at risk of losing their home, and without urgent, coordinated action, many will have nowhere to turn but already stretched services.”
“It is essential that measures set out in the Government’s new housing plan move forward without delay. A review of HAP is especially critical if we are to make private rental accommodation accessible and affordable for people exiting homelessness. Specific targets by local authorities, for social housing for single adults, coupled with greater preventative supports are required.”
Ms Kenny continued: “Homelessness is not driven by one single factor, and it will not be solved by one single solution. It is complex, and it demands a coordinated, integrated response. People don’t experience homelessness in silos, and neither should the response.”  
  
“There is hope in what we see every day. In the people who move forward, in the progress that is possible when the right support is in place. Our winter reporting shows us that we can reach people to provide help in moments they are at their most vulnerable.”  
 
“But we are still failing too many people as a country. No single organisation, no one department, can solve this alone. It requires leadership, coordination, and a shared commitment across Government, NGOs and wider society.   
  
"We need urgent, cross-departmental action that matches the scale and complexity of this crisis, because behind every statistic is a person who cannot afford to wait.”
Dundalk Simon Community said it is calling on the Government and local authorities to:
  • prioritise immediate housing allocations for long-term emergency accommodation residents; 
  • accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes in line with the national strategy;
  • introduce a coordinated, cross-departmental framework to tackle homelessness as the multi-layered crisis it is.
To support Dundalk Simon's work or to learn more, visit www.dundalksimon.ie 

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