No let up in number presenting as homeless in Louth

There was no improvement in the number of people seeking recorded as homeless in Louth and the North East region in January, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with an increase also in the number of families recorded as homeless.

263 adults accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 20-26 January 2025 in the North East region, with 232 of them in Louth. This is up from 262 in December in the North East, which included 235 in Louth. The North East region comprises Louth, Monaghan and Cavan. 13 people were recorded as homeless in Monaghan and 18 in Cavan.

Of the 263 adults in the North East region, 142 were male and 121 were female. 43 were aged 18-24 years old; 134 aged 25-44; 78 aged 45-64; and eight were aged 65 and over - an increase of two on December. 156 were Irish citizens; 46 were EEA/UK citizens; and 61 were non-EEA citizens.

68 families with 130 child dependents also accessed local authority managed emergency accommodation during the week of 20-26 January 2025 in the North East region. This is up from 62 families with 138 children in December. 

Nationally, 10,683 adults and 4,603 children, giving a total of 15,286 homeless people, were recorded in January. This is up from 10,354 adults and 4,510 children, 14,864 in total, in December. This is another record high number, after a slight fall in December. This figure that does not account for those rough sleeping, refugees, asylum seekers, individuals in domestic violence shelters, or those in hidden homelessness—people sleeping in cars, on couches, or in unsuitable living conditions.

Commenting on the latest figures, Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dundalk Simon Community, said that "despite repeated warnings from Dundalk Simon and other homelessness organisations, Government still lacks a comprehensive plan to reduce these numbers. The crisis is deepening, yet thousands of people remain trapped in emergency accommodation with no clear pathway to a home. The homelessness crisis is not an inevitability—it is a direct result of political choices. 

"What people need are able pathways out of homelessness—homes they can afford, security they can rely on, and policies that prioritise long-term solutions. People need hope and security, not continued scarcity, unaffordability, and instability. The Government cannot continue to push homelessness down the agenda. It must become a central pillar of a new national housing strategy—anything less is an abdication of responsibility.” 

Dundalk Simon Community says it is calling on the Government to integrate homelessness as a core pillar in any future housing plan and that this must include: 

• A long-term commitment to social and cost-rental housing—until it constitutes at least 20% of the national housing stock, as per the Housing Commission recommendations. 
• A fully resourced national homelessness prevention strategy—ring-fencing 20% of the homelessness budget for dedicated prevention supports. 
• A clear strategy for the private rental sector, ensuring those currently in it have security and that those in emergency accommodation have viable routes into stable, affordable homes. 

“Homelessness is not just about housing—it’s about people being locked out of every avenue to stability,” Ms Kenny continued. “Without investment in prevention, the numbers will continue to rise. We need political will to shift away from emergency accommodation and towards lasting solutions.” 

Dundalk Simon Community also urges the Government to acknowledge that homelessness cannot be solved without tackling the root causes, including addiction and mental health. It said that anew national drug strategy must be created, incorporating the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use. 

“Without a targeted response to addiction, we are failing the very people we claim to help,” said Kenny. “Housing alone won’t solve homelessness—if we ignore health and social factors, the cycle will continue indefinitely.” 

Dundalk Simon Community says it is calling for decisive leadership, clear commitments, and an end to short-term, reactionary policies.  “Hope cannot survive in a system that leaves people trapped in emergency accommodation with no way out,” Ms Kenny concluded. “The Government must act—not with more rhetoric, but with real solutions that open doors, rather than closing them.”  

To support Dundalk Simon’s work or to learn more, visit www.dundalksimon.ie