Focus Ireland warns that the Government’s new housing plan must deliver as homelessness rises to another record of 16,766

New figures from the Department of Housing report a record 16,766 people were homeless in October, including 5,274 children in 2,484 families. This is a rise of 152 individuals from last month and marks a 12% increase over the past year. Child homelessness has shot up by 14% in the same period.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said: “It is heartbreaking that a record number of 5,274 children will be homeless this Christmas, for many it will be their second or even third year opening their presents in emergency accommodation. Children who are homeless are having their childhoods stolen one day at a time. This is wrong and we can – and must – end this human crisis.”

He said: “Homelessness can be solved with the right policies and political will in place. These children cannot wait any longer. While we welcome the Government’s new strategy, families will judge it by results. Delivering one- and four-bedroom homes will speed up exits from homelessness for families and individuals in tandem with prioritising new social housing for those most in need.”

Commenting on the Government’s Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030 strategy, Mr Dennigan said: “The plan needs specific deadlines and clear milestones to track progress and maintain accountability. Removing annual targets reduces transparency, while current supply projections may not meet demand. Urgency, robust targets, and timely delivery are crucial to ensure families and individuals experiencing homelessness have secure housing.”

Meanwhile, new RTB data released yesterday reveals a sharp rise in landlords selling properties following proposed rental market regulations. Evictions due to sales have been the leading cause of family homelessness for almost a decade, but Q3 2025 figures show an unprecedented scale.

“The government must take action to stop the sudden exodus of landlords from the market as there are widespread reports of landlords leaving due to this new policy. Focus Ireland believes that this is not a case of bad policy—it’s a case of poor communication. We have heard of many cases where landlords mistakenly believe existing tenancy conditions will change next March and are selling properties to avoid this. In reality, existing tenancies will remain largely unchanged; the new rules will only apply to future tenancies.”

Mr Dennigan explains: “The Government must urgently launch a campaign clarifying its proposals to landlords, including direct outreach to the 3,000 planning to sell. Explain that existing tenancies remain unaffected and actively encourage them to stay in the market. Secondly, the Government must double funding for the Tenant in Situ scheme, which allows local authorities or AHBs to buy homes where landlords sell and tenants face homelessness. The scheme effectively prevents trauma and public costs, but current funding is far too low to meet the scale of evictions flagged by the RTB.”