Dublin family spent over eight years in emergency accommodation
The longest period of a family in Dublin has remained in emergency accommodation is eight years and seven months.
While Dublin City Council stated this instance was “an outlier,” this stark figure highlights the compounding plights of the over 17,000 people currently in emergency accommodation across Ireland, up from 16,000 in 2025 and over 14,000 in 2024.
In response to a question submitted by Councillor Gavin Pepper at the March monthly meeting, Director of Dublin Region Homeless Executive stated that the “main barrier” to getting families out of emergency accommodation is the availability of three bedroom housing to meet the needs of household sizes. She said that all four Dublin local authorities are reviewing households that have been in emergency accommodation for over two years.
A lack of larger accommodations has been a consistent point of criticism by representatives, who have argued that without significantly increasing suitable family housing, many risk remaining in emergency accommodation far longer than intended. Recent announcements like 15 one-bedroom council apartments in Ringsend have been welcomed, but Councillor Pat Dunne asked at the last South East Area Committee meeting why they aren’t prioritising larger housing for families on the waiting list.
With emergency accommodation figures for January 2026 at a record high, a statement from the Dublin Simon Community described the situation as a “deeply entrenched crisis” as sustained pressure “across housing, affordability and support systems” continues to push people into homelessness. With 17,112 individuals in emergency accommodation nationwide and 12,198 recorded in Dublin, this represents a 12% increase year-on-year .
Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said: “Sadly, another social injustice milestone has been reached with record homeless figures. As numbers continue to grow, the Government must move with action to deliver solutions that will have the most impact.
“It is essential that at both a national and local level every effort is made to increase housing supply and ensure people can move out of emergency accommodation into secure homes. For the thousands counted by the system, and the many others outside of official record, there needs to finally be a sustained response to what is truly the crisis of a generation.
“As new rental regulations come into effect, it is important to recognise how closely homelessness is tied to conditions in the private rental market. In Dublin, one in four households who become homeless come from the private rental market, citing notices of termination and affordability as the reasons.
“Measures that the Government has outlined in the new housing plan need to be implemented immediately and the review of HAP is paramount to improve access and affordability to those who rely on private rental accommodation as a housing option. Equally so, it is important to ensure prevention measures are in place for people at risk of losing their homes. Strong prevention - including security and affordability - is essential if we are to stem the flow into homelessness.”
The latest report includes 1,794 families and 3,931 children living in emergency accommodation in Dublin, which the Simon Community stress “does not even account for those rough sleeping, in insecure accommodation, individuals in domestic violence shelters.” They also highlight those experiencing hidden homeless, such as “people sleeping in tents, cars, on couches.”
“These thousands do not even begin to cover the entirety of the homelessness issue. There are of course those without any place to shelter, those who spend their nights out on the streets. With near-record breaking rainfall and bitterly cold conditions being the norm of late, one can barely imagine what it must be like for the people who are forced to brave the elements. No one should have to endure these hardships, and more must be done to provide the suitable accommodation necessary to bring an end to rough sleeping,” Ms Kenny said.
“Ultimately, we must remember that behind each statistic is a human being. Think of the person in the sodden sleeping bag battling unrelenting rain, the person left with no other option than to live out of their car, or someone who has just spent Christmas in emergency accommodation and is facing another year without a place to call home. We cannot accept these injustices any longer. The time for change has long since passed, but 2026 must be the turning point for this emergency.”
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