The number of people recorded as homeless in Ireland has reached a new record high of 17,112 individuals.
Monthly homelessness figures published by the Department of Housing on Friday show that 11,793 adults and 5,319 children were in emergency accommodation during the last week of January 2026.
The total marks a significant increase from the same period last year, when the number of people in emergency accommodation stood at 15,286 – 10,683 adults and 4,603 children.
National data indicates that 10,002 households were in emergency shelter during the count week, of which 7,447 were single households and 2,555 were family households.
Dublin remains the most affected region, with 12,198 individuals recorded in emergency accommodation, representing a 12% year-on-year increase for the capital.
The Dublin Simon Community described the figures as a “social injustice milestone” that highlights the scale of a generational crisis.
“Sadly, another social injustice milestone has been reached with record homeless figures,” Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said.
“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.”
Kenny expressed concern that the official statistics do not capture the full extent of the issue, noting that those rough sleeping or in “hidden homelessness” are not included in the count.
“These thousands do not even begin to cover the entirety of the homelessness issue,” she said.
“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.”
The CEO added that behind each statistic is a human being, such as “the person in the sodden sleeping bag” or someone “left with no other option than to live out of their car.”
The demographic breakdown of adults in emergency accommodation shows that 60.2% are male and 39.8% are female, while 52.8% of homeless adults are aged between 25 and 44.
Citizenship data reveals that 50% of adults in emergency accommodation are Irish citizens, with 19.7% coming from the EEA or UK and 30.3% from non-EEA countries.
The report also provided data on preventions and exits for the final quarter of 2025, showing that 2,957 individuals were either prevented from entering emergency accommodation or exited to a secure tenancy.
However, the 6,994 adult preventions and exits achieved over the course of the year represented a 21.4% decrease on the 8,893 recorded in 2024.
Private Emergency Accommodation (PEA), which includes hotels and B&Bs, remains the most common form of shelter, used by 8,329 adults during the count week.
A further 3,462 adults were in Supported Temporary Accommodation (STA), which includes family hubs and hostels with onsite professional support.
The Dublin rough sleeper count for winter 2025 reported that 145 unique individuals were engaged with by outreach teams, an increase of 19.8% on the spring 2025 count.
Local authority managed emergency accommodation data is collated through the Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS) and published on the last working Friday of every month.
The administration of these services is organised across nine administrative regions, with lead authorities responsible for the disbursement of Exchequer funding.