The homelessness crisis has reached a new low, with new figures shining a harsh light on how it is affecting our young people, in particular.
According to new statistics released by the Department of Housing, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds currently homeless in Ireland has risen by a staggering 78 percent since 2014.
The alarming figures reveal that of the 7,421 people homeless right now in the Republic, around 10 percent is made up by young people aged between 18 and 24.
To break down just how severe the problem is, it was further revealed that in the week of February 20 – 26, there were a whopping 776 young people homeless and in emergency accommodation.
A representative from Focus Ireland, a charity that works to end homelessness through providing advice and various supports, has lamented the latest statistics and their reflection on the dire state of homelessness in the country.
Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland, said: “We know that young people aged 18-24 outside of families have really been hit hard by the reduced rate of social welfare available to them.
“When a young person falls into the nightmare that is homelessness, there’s always an underlying reason - not getting accommodation or support upon leaving State care, family problems, mental health challenges and/or purely economic pressures and unemployment.”
Focus Ireland is hoping to address the problem for this particular age group through its Housing First for Youth scheme, whereby they will seek to provide housing and supports to young people as quickly as possible.
The latest news just adds to the worrying reality of how the homelessness crisis is affecting some of the most vulnerable members of our society: our children.
Back in November, it was revealed that the number of homeless children in Ireland had practically doubled in the space of a year, in 2015. According to those statistics, released by the Department of the Environment, a staggering 1,709 children (from 813 families) were homeless at the time of surveying.
A United Nations Committee has previously expressed its ‘deep concern’ over Ireland’s child poverty problems.
Let’s hope someone in the Government is listening to these latest statistics, and is prepared to do something about them.
