Latest homeless figures show 58% increase in the number of people homeless since launch of Rebuilding Ireland

Merchants Quay Ireland, the national homeless and addiction charity, has today called on the Government to reevaluate its approach to ending the housing and homeless crisis following the latest homeless statistics.

The latest homeless statistics show that 10,305 people were in emergency accommodation in March 2019. The figures do not include the latest rough sleeper count, which showed a further 128 people homeless in Dublin. Combined, this brings the total number of people homeless in Ireland to 10,433.

Fiona McDonnell, Homeless Services Co-Ordinator at Merchants Quay Ireland, commented:

“There has been a 58% increase in the number of people in emergency accommodation since the Government’s strategy, Rebuilding Ireland, was launched in July 2016. This is a clear sign that the current strategy to ending homelessness needs revaluation. The longer we leave people in homelessness, the more their physical and mental health will suffer”.

“With each passing month, we see records broken for the number of people who are becoming trapped in homelessness. It is clear that Rebuilding Ireland does not address the scale of the challenge Ireland is now facing. We urge the Government to take stock and reevaluate its approach.”

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Rooney
Communications Officer
Merchants Quay Ireland
T: 01 531 2958
M: 086 7793 208
Email: andrew.rooney@mqi.ie

Website: www.mqi.ie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MerchantsQuayIR
Twitter: @MerchantsQuayIR

About Merchants Quay Ireland

Merchants Quay Ireland is a leading Irish charity working with people who are homeless and in addiction. The organisation provides services ranging from open access crisis intervention and health promotion services to day-support programmes, educational programmes, vocational training, residential treatment, detox and prison counselling. www.mqi.ie

To find out more about Merchants Quay Ireland’s work, please see our newly released short film: https://youtu.be/8SkkmxdtLyE