Focus Ireland estimates that there are up to 5,000 people who are homeless in Ireland at any one time. You can view some facts and figures on the number of homeless here. A small minority of people who are homeless sleep rough but most stay in emergency accommodation such as a hostel or a night shelter, a B&B, with family and friends or in a squat.

All of these are very stressful and short-term arrangements. In some of them only essential living necessities are available; in others not even basic needs are being met. None of them is a place to call home.

There are also thousands more families and single people who are at risk of becoming homeless. These people are often at risk of losing their current accommodation due to various reasons including struggling to pay their rent or falling in to serious mortgage arrears.

Focus Ireland works to support people in these situations (And people in groups that are deemed to be particularly vulnerable to homelessness) to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.

People who are homeless can find it very difficult to find a place to live. There is a large waiting list for local authority housing* (* Over 98,000 households in 2011) and there is very little housing association accommodation available.

Focus Ireland has called for the government to set a new deadline of 2013 to end long-term homelessness. The previous target of 2010 was not met, mainly because of the failure by successive government to provide the housing vital to move people out of homelessness.

Focus Ireland believes that it is possible to both prevent and solve homelessness. To download our information sheets on homelessness in Ireland, please click here.