Focus Ireland Calls for Urgent Action as Homelessness Rises Again to 17,527

The latest Department of Housing homeless figures for July show that there is now 17,527 people recorded as homeless, including 5,659 children across 2,724 families. This represents an increase of 45 people experiencing homelessness compared with June, including 39 more children and 18 more families. There are 2,104 young people (18-24) who are homeless.

Overall homelessness remains significantly higher over the last 12 months, with overall levels in July 2026 standing 9 per cent higher than in July 2025.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said the figures were particularly concerning as children have returned to school and many young people are preparing to return to college and further education.

“As children settle back into classrooms and young adults prepare to begin a new academic year in colleges and universities across the country, it is deeply troubling that so many are doing so while living in emergency accommodation. For children, homelessness can affect every aspect of school life, from attendance and concentration to friendships and wellbeing. To give a sense of the scale of this human crisis, more than 5,000 children are currently without a home, the equivalent of at least 220 primary school classes.”

For young people entering or returning to college, the challenge of studying, completing assignments and participating fully in college life becomes even more difficult when they do not have a stable home environment. Homelessness hurts everyone, but it hurts children and young people the most. We cannot allow a generation of young people to have their education and future opportunities undermined by the ongoing housing crisis.”

He adds: “The Government data still fails to include information about the age of children or the length of time that they remain homeless. The data published for Dublin shows that 6 out of ten families have been homeless for over one year and an appalling 30% have been homeless for over two years, The harm being done by this is incalculable.”
Mr Dennigan said the Government must move urgently to prevent more households entering homelessness and to help those currently in emergency accommodation secure permanent homes.

“It is deeply frustrating that the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan has been postponed while families continue to enter homelessness every month. If the Government is serious about reversing these rising numbers, it must urgently progress the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan, the National Prevention Framework and the review of the HAP Scheme. There is a terrible absence of a sense of urgency from this Government about the harm being done to these children.

He adds: “These measures are essential to preventing homelessness, supporting families before they lose their homes and helping people move more quickly from emergency accommodation into secure and sustainable housing.

The longer these actions are delayed, the more people, families and children will be forced to endure the trauma of homelessness. The Government should be doing everything possible to prevent homelessness and help people move on from emergency accommodation, and that work cannot wait.”