Slight fall in homeless numbers in Louth

There was a slight fall in the number of people recorded as homeless in Louth and the North East region in December, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 

262 adults accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 23-29 December 2024 in the North East region, with 235 of them in Louth. This is down from 273 in November in the North East, which included 242 Louth. The North East region comprises Louth, Monaghan and Cavan. 27 people were recorded as homeless in Monaghan and Cavan combined.

Of the 262 adults in the North East region, 140 were male and 122 were female. 46 were aged 18-24; 137 aged 25-44; 73 were aged 45-64; and six people were aged 65 and over. 150 were Irish citizens; 50 were EEA/IK citizens; and 62 were Non-EEA citizens.

62 families with 138 child dependents also accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 23-29 December in the North East region. This is down from 69 families with 152 children in November. 

Nationally, 10,354 adults and 4,510 children, giving a total of 14,864 homeless people were recorded in December. This is down from 10,541 adults and 4,658 children, 15,199 people in total, in November, the first fall in quite some time in the number of people accessing local authority managed emergency accommodation.

Commenting on the latest figures, Dundalk Simon Community said that with a new Government in place, there must finally be action on homelessness. It added that the Government figures do not account for those rough sleeping, individuals in domestic violence shelters, refugees, or asylum seekers on our streets. These figures also exclude those in hidden homelessness: people sleeping in cars, staying with friends, on sofas, or in unsuitable conditions. 

Catherine Kenny, CEO said: “While we welcome the slight decrease in the number of people in emergency accommodation around the country, we are still unable to accept the injustice of almost 15,000 without a place to call home. This figure represents a 12% increase on the number in emergency accommodation compared to December 2023. As one of the wealthiest nations in the world, we cannot and should not tolerate a society where so many are left without the basic human necessity of shelter.

“The Government should take little comfort in the minor reduction in the numbers in emergency accommodation services. It is not uncommon for these numbers to dip around Christmas time as some people find other places to stay. A partial decrease does not take away from the fact that there are thousands without the comfort of a home.

"We believe it is the responsibility of this new Cabinet, taking an interdepartmental approach, to sufficiently address this crisis in a way that previous administrations have failed to. It is time for those in power to remember those without it and finally invest in workable solutions.”