No improvement in Louth homeless figures

There was no change in the number of people reported as homeless in Louth last month, according to the latest data from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with the number nationally reaching yet another record high.

159 people accessed emergency accommodation in the North East region, which comprises Louth, Monaghan and Cavan, during the week 24-30 August 2026, down from 163 in July.

Of this 143 were in Louth, the same number as reported in July, with the Monaghan/Cavan figure falling from 20 to 16.

Of the 159 people in the North East region, 99 were male and 60 were female. 23 were aged between 18 and 24 years old; 85 between 25 and 44; 45 were aged between 45 and 64; and six were aged 65 and over.

110 were Irish citizens; 23 were EEA/UK citizens; and 26 were non-EEA citizens.

54 children from 23 families also accessed emergency accommodation during the week of 24-30 August 2026 in the North East, up from 51 children from 21 families in July.

Nationally, 12,055 adults and 5,830 children accessed emergency accommodation in August, giving a total of 17,885 people, another record high.

Commenting on the latest figures, David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul, a charity supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, noted that now is the time for bold action as homeless numbers rise once again.

“Once more the increases are gaining pace – and we find ourselves reiterating our concerns and warnings. There is a tangible frustration among those working on the frontline – at what is starting to feel like an acceptance and business as usual attitude by those with the responsibility and power to bring about change.

“We cannot sleepwalk into accepting these or any homelessness figures as our new normal. Behind every statistic is an individual or family facing uncertainty and instability, and we cannot underestimate the impact that homelessness has on people’s lives.

“We are strongly advocating for the need to intervene earlier to prevent homelessness, reduce reliance on temporary accommodation and ensure people have a clear pathway into permanent housing.

“We believe to truly end homelessness, we must combine increased housing supply with the mental health, addiction and community supports people need to build stable lives and become part of thriving communities.”

“As we get closer to Budget 2027 our warning to the Government is gathering pace that without bold and immediate action in Budget 2027, homelessness will deepen further and thousands more people will be locked into cycles of crisis."

“We are calling on the Government to urgently:

• 1. Housing – at its core homelessness is driven primarily by the lack of access to affordable and suitable social housing. Prioritise increasing funding for Public, Affordable, Social Housing and fund a state-led plan to reverse the over-reliance on temporary accommodation and focus on prevention.
• 2. Mental Health – Increase funding for homelessness services focusing on addiction, drug and alcohol interventions and mental health – with more focus on harm-reduction measures as well as a national network of specific mental health services for those in temporary accommodation.
• 3. IPAS – Provide more solutions to the critical accommodation crisis in International Protection and Direct Provision. Increased funding provided to the Department of Housing to ensure that those in IP who have secured leave to remain are able to access accommodation on a like for like basis with others.
• 4. Prioritise a Housing First approach – Accelerate the delivery of supported and independent housing and ensure that healthcare, particularly mental health and addiction services, are embedded and budgeted for within our housing system planning.
• 5. Staff – Provide adequate and sustainable funding for staff in the voluntary and social sector. That will ensure capacity to both benchmark salaries and index them against public sector contemporaries and any public pay agreements that are negotiated. Ensure that the right affordable public and social housing is built in the right place that meets the needs of the population.
• 6. Funding – Provide multi-annual funding to the homeless sector that reflects the full cost of service delivery.