Kilkenny homeless figures on the rise again amongst latest record highs

There are now 41 people classed as homeless in Kilkenny as figures soar to their highest ever. 

A new record high of 11,632 people are homeless in Ireland according to the latest official figures – which also show almost 3,500 children were in emergency accommodation for Christmas.

It means that new peaks have been set for six months in a row, despite a temporary eviction ban being in place since November.

In the South East, a total of 231 people are classed as homeless, a 3% increase for the region covering Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford and Tipperary. 

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The official Department of Housing figures for December published on Friday show there were 8,190 adults and 3,442 children recorded as homeless.

The total figure for November was 11,542 people.

Executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, Wayne Stanley said it was “profoundly upsetting” to see homelessness continue to increase.

“We usually see a trend in December, where the number of people depending on emergency homeless accommodation falls as family and friends offer respite over the Christmas period.

“While this support was evident again last month, and we did see a fall in the number of families and children in homelessness, overall we saw an increase in December for the first time in six years.”

Despite being a worthwhile indicator, these statistics actually fail to reflect the full extent of the local and national homeless crisis.

This is because government homeless statistics relate only to households provided with emergency accommodation by the local authorities.

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They do not include households frequently described as the ‘hidden homeless’ that may be sleeping rough, living in refuges, or staying with parents, relatives and friends in overcrowded conditions.

The Department of Housing’s homelessness statistics are published on a monthly basis.