Slight drop in homeless figures in Kilkenny but future rise predicted

Monthly figures from the Department of Housing showed a slight drop in the number of people accessing emergency accommodation in Kilkenny from January to February of this year.

According to the latest report, 34 people were accessing emergency accommodation in Kilkenny in February, compared to 37 in the previous month.

Brothers charged with assault causing harm following Kilkenny City incident

The number of people accessing local authority emergency accommodation in the South-East region rose by one during the same period, from 221 to 222.

Of the five neighbouring counties, Kilkenny is third when it comes to the number of people recorded as being homeless.

Waterford (78) has the highest recorded figure from these five counties, followed by Wexford (41), Carlow (36), Kilkenny (34) and Tipperary (33).

Nationally, 8,369 adults and 3,373 children were reported as homeless in February, giving a total of 11,742 homeless people across Ireland, down 12 on the 11,754 people reported as homeless in January.

Responding to the report, Homeless Charity Depaul stated that ‘clarity will be needed on how vulnerable cohorts entering homelessness will access vital community health supports in wake of eviction ban’.

David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul, said that ‘it is heartbreaking that the number of people accessing temporary accommodation remains high and we know that these figures published today do not reflect the scale of homelessness expected in the next few weeks and months as the eviction ban lifts’.

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

Grand Theft Audio: Sounds of Vice City is coming to Kilkenny

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

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.