Homelessness numbers and their impact.

Slydice

Alright, a new thread to focus on the Homelessness Numbers and looking at their impact.
The previous threads (one, two) with the previous reports charts are locked.

These first summary charts show the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:


In the previous threads last report I had just noticed:

Slydice wrote: »

It looks like the same numbers but the number of years are different:

• in 3 and a bit years: Adults with Children went from around 3000 to over 6000
• in 4 and a bit years: just Adults went from around 3000 to over 6000

This reminded me of the start of the October 2018 post:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=108755665&postcount=11

"In Europe, the rate is much lower where women typically account for between 20% and 33% of the homeless population"
"research found that 66% of homeless families in Ireland are headed by lone parents, most of whom are women"

The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report June 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_june_2019.pdf

This is the second time I can remember all the headline numbers dropping month-on-month. The first time was last month.
I've updated the two charts based on the totals they give.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness



Recent Media relating to Homelessness
The irishexaminer.com carried this headline which indicates "in relation to excessive absenteeism by children from school":
Number of pupils missing school soar
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/number-of-pupils-missing-school-soars-936665.html

School absenteeism cases on Tusla’s national waiting list have surged to the highest recorded level due to the rising number of homeless children, insufficient numbers of staff, and increasingly complex cases such as students with mental health issues and special needs.

Figures contained in the child and family agency’s most recently published monthly report show that in April, Tusla’s Educational Welfare Service (EWS) had 2,636 referrals on its waiting list. The figure has been climbing steadily since last October and the comparable figure from April 2018 was 1,670 cases.

Just two data points but I've put this on a chart too:


This reminds me of the report mentioned previously from Goldsmiths, University of London about Childrens development in Dublin "while living in temporary hotel accommodation"

Graham wrote: »

Using hotels for homeless families has ‘destructive impact’ on children
Children in emergency accommodation not developing properly, says report
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/using-hotels-for-homeless-families-has-destructive-impact-on-children-1.3921069
More about the Report: ‘Temporary’ hotels have devastating effects on homeless families
https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/homeless-families-hotel-impact/

Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

Slydice

First an update of the summary charts showing the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:



The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report July 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homelessness_report_-_july_2019.pdf

The last two reports had the first headline numbers dropping month-on-month I could remember. This figures in this report have homelessness numbers on the rise again.

I've updated the two charts based on the totals they give.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness


I had kind of held out a bit of hope there from the last two reports


Quarterly report
I'm not sure how things are going but they released a quarterly report alongside this report:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_quarterly_progress_report_-_april_to_june_2019.pdf
It feels a bit unfinished with the blank section on "Homelessnessand Housing Inclusion Supports". I'm guessing the authors were under time pressure and ran out of time.

It has these two points:

Note that exits include both exits from emergency accommodation and persons who have been assessed as homeless but have not entered emergency accommodation e.g. HAP preventions through homeless HAP.

To date in 2019, 51% of families presenting to homeless services in the Dublin region were prevented from having to enter emergency accommodation.

That sounds like they are experiencing larger numbers than are being seen coming through to the reports.


Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

From the quarterly report, it has numbers on where "exits" are going. It doesn't look like all that much of it is permanent accomodation:

It looks like a like is going to the rental sector.

Assetbacked

https://www.focusireland.ie/non-irish-homelessness-dublin/

Non-nationals make up 31% of the "homeless" but the bigger picture is that out immigration numbers are still at unsustainable levels including those that are coming here for work. With the number of new arrivals to Ireland each year, the supply of homes just can't compete. The attitude that MNCs getting hurt in an international recession being good for the housing market doesn't get said too often but it really is the only thing it seems that can help the situation.

um7y1h83ge06nx

I can see where you are coming from but skilled immigrants are still needed in some industries.

I would be familiar with the software development industry and sometimes it really is difficult to find local people with the right skillset. Often companies would prefer locals as they are seen as more likely to stay long term.

In terms of costs, it can be more expensive to hire immigrants as you may end up paying relocation fees e.g. visa costs for non EU people.

I haven't seen a situation yet where an immigrant was hired over a local as they were willing to take a lower salary. I'm sure it happens, I just haven't seen it myself.

Assetbacked

Amanda Easy Zygote wrote: »

I can see where you are coming from but skilled immigrants are still needed in some industries.

I would be familiar with the software development industry and sometimes it really is difficult to find local people with the right skillset. Often companies would prefer locals as they are seen as more likely to stay long term.

In terms of costs, it can be more expensive to hire immigrants as you may end up paying relocation fees e.g. visa costs for non EU people.

I haven't seen a situation yet where an immigrant was hired over a local as they were willing to take a lower salary. I'm sure it happens, I just haven't seen it myself.

Yeah, but it's not about Irish versus non-Irish, it's about those that are already here and trying to house them let alone the new people arriving each week to take up new jobs. The supply isn't satisfying the demand for those already here so the problem is not going to go away anytime soon unless dramatic changes happen.

ELM327

Amanda Easy Zygote wrote: »

I can see where you are coming from but skilled immigrants are still needed in some industries.

I would be familiar with the software development industry and sometimes it really is difficult to find local people with the right skillset. Often companies would prefer locals as they are seen as more likely to stay long term.

In terms of costs, it can be more expensive to hire immigrants as you may end up paying relocation fees e.g. visa costs for non EU people.

I haven't seen a situation yet where an immigrant was hired over a local as they were willing to take a lower salary. I'm sure it happens, I just haven't seen it myself.

+1
I recently moved department in work (large mnc) to an analytics function.
My team is made up of two non EU/EEA individuals where the company sponsored their visas and paid relocation, and 3 Irish folks that were previously working in the industry.


I was involved in the team as the first entrant and saw first hand the difficulties in attracting local applicants that met the criteria. I imagine most skilled jobs are the same.

Assetbacked

Assetbacked wrote: »

https://www.focusireland.ie/non-irish-homelessness-dublin/

Non-nationals make up 31% of the "homeless" but the bigger picture is that out immigration numbers are still at unsustainable levels including those that are coming here for work. With the number of new arrivals to Ireland each year, the supply of homes just can't compete. The attitude that MNCs getting hurt in an international recession being good for the housing market doesn't get said too often but it really is the only thing it seems that can help the situation.

The people coming here to work for MNCs are not the people who are homeless nor are they even renting the same types of place that those who are homeless would be even attempting to.

Assetbacked

Jayda Plump Horsefly wrote: »

The people coming here to work for MNCs are not the people who are homeless nor are they even renting the same types of place that those who are homeless would be even attempting to.

Thank you captain obvious.

Are you adding clarity to what I said or what is the point of your post?

Old diesel

Jayda Plump Horsefly wrote: »

Assetbacked wrote: »

https://www.focusireland.ie/non-irish-homelessness-dublin/

Non-nationals make up 31% of the "homeless" but the bigger picture is that out immigration numbers are still at unsustainable levels including those that are coming here for work. With the number of new arrivals to Ireland each year, the supply of homes just can't compete. The attitude that MNCs getting hurt in an international recession being good for the housing market doesn't get said too often but it really is the only thing it seems that can help the situation.

The people coming here to work for MNCs are not the people who are homeless nor are they even renting the same types of place that those who are homeless would be even attempting to.

But they are still part of the demand Vs supply equation.

If they weren't here more accommodation would be available if amount of property to rent stayed.

The homeless might not literally stay in same units but people in other properties might move into where the MNC staff currently live. So property gets freed up all over.

Stopping them coming isn't the answer though .

Slydice

First an update of the summary charts showing the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:



The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report August 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_august_2019.pdf

Two reports now with a month-on-month rise.
I've updated the two charts based on the totals they give.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness



EU - European Social Policy Network (ESPN) Report for Ireland (2019)
The ESPN Thematic Report on National strategies to fight homelessness and housing exclusion - Ireland (2019) has also been released:
https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=21604&langId=en

This jumped out for me:

At present there is statistical obfuscation if not ‘corruption’.

Apart from that, the summary included points that caught my eye:

• Homelessness as a problem is generally well recognised in Ireland
• Housing vulnerability is much less recognised, which among other things means that prevention is not prominent in the Irish approach
• Homelessness has long been a problem in Ireland but the numbers keep growing
• There is a particular cast to this though in that public building is gradually being replaced by acquisition from the private sector and private accommodation is coming to replace (rather than complement) public housing in the response to homelessness and housing exclusion (HHE) and other housing-related problems.
• exits from homelessness and HHE are fewer than the numbers entering
• over-reliance on private-sector housing which has little security for tenants; almost complete dependence on (an under-resourced) voluntary sector for service provision;
• Prevention is another key weakness. To rectify this means enhancing homeless and general housing support services and much stronger rent control measures as well as regulation of the private-rented housing sector with a particular focus on tenant protection and rights. The low stock and insufficient supply of social housing (currently at 8% of total stock) is another issue of concern and arguably the fundamental issue.

They use very rounded numbers but they give a perspective:



Media
Looks like the cost of rent is bringing soldiers into Homelessness danger now:
'I either have to leave the Defence Forces or stay and be homeless with my pregnant wife'
https://www.thejournal.ie/defence-forces-housing-4822862-Sep2019/

One officer said he returned from a UN mission in 2017 and was, at the time, renting a one-bed apartment with his wife in Dublin for €1,600. He said their landlord told them their lease was up and the rent was going up to €2,400.

He said he told his superior: “I will either have to leave the Defence Forces or stay and be homeless with my wife, who is expecting a child. That was the stark reality facing me when I returned from overseas service.”

This is a very concerning article on exploitation of people facing homelessness.
Minister taking reports of rental sector sexual exploitation 'very seriously'
https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0924/1077949-housing-exploitation-dail/

She said she had been looking for a property for ten months and had been facing homelessness.

testimonies from women outlined landlord behaviour including commenting on women's appearances, making inappropriate sexual comments, warning tenants not to have boyfriends and sending drunken text messages.

Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

Slydice

First an update of the summary charts showing the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:



The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report August 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_september_20191.pdf

Two reports now with a month-on-month rise. The total is now the highest I've seen at 10,397

I've updated the two charts based on the numbers in the report.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness



Visual analysis of Dublin
I hadn't gotten the idea that D1, D7 and D8 provide for so many until I saw this info visual:
https://twitter.com/RobCross247/status/1159947323868364801

Rob Cross
Aug 11

Yes, over time I've populated the map myself referencing data from various sources such as InsideAirbnb, the vacant site register, news articles, Universities papers, NAMA reports, EPA, Dublin planning applications, An Bord Pleanala etc. and last but not least, site inspections.

Media
Felt like a heavy impact this month.

‘Sam’
https://www.broadsheet.ie/2019/10/16/sam/

‘Sam’, aged five, eating as he knelt on a piece of cardboard on Grafton Street last night

Homeless man, 30s, dies after being found unconscious in Dublin city centre
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/homeless-man-30s-dies-after-being-found-unconscious-in-dublin-city-centre-958457.html

Mr Flynn added: "This can’t become normal or acceptable. The Minister must activate the cold winter initiative immediately and insure beds are available for all who want to access."

McVerry: Government’s homeless plan not working
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/mcverry-governments-homeless-plan-not-working-958827.html

It is more than three years since they introduced Rebuilding Ireland — their strategy to reduce homelessness — and virtually every single month for the last three years the number of homeless people has gone up. At what point do you say our strategy is not working? We have got to revisit it. The emperor has no clothes.

'Homeless children struggle to chew food'
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/homeless-children-struggle-to-chew-food-38609982.html

"Mums and dads haven't been able to prepare proper food when they're living in hotels, so the children are still on puréed food in pouches, at two and three years of age, because it doesn't perish the same way fresh food does."

Other "basic developmental milestones are being missed" in children who have been living for long periods in emergency accommodation. Due to a lack of space, "children are finding it difficult to learn to crawl and learn to walk".

Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

Was there any reason for that child to be eating on the floor on Grafton St? Looks like a stunt tbh.

Lux23

Mariah Better Ground wrote: »

Was there any reason for that child to be eating on the floor on Grafton St? Looks like a stunt tbh.

Where should he have eaten then? It was a soup kitchen, they don't provide you a table and chairs.

Amirani

Slydice wrote: »

Homeless man, 30s, dies after being found unconscious in Dublin city centre
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/homeless-man-30s-dies-after-being-found-unconscious-in-dublin-city-centre-958457.html

I think people choosing to sleep rough in order to continue consuming narcotics (versus a controlled hostel environment) is a very different issue, and I'm not sure that that any country on earth has managed to solve this.

Seems inappropriate to group this with the likes of the 5 year old kid on Grafton Street, completely different cause and circumstance.

Lux23

Lux23 wrote: »

Where should he have eaten then? It was a soup kitchen, they don't provide you a table and chairs.

There were other photos shown of him sitting on an upturned crate and one of him queuing up. Definitely set up for the greatest results.

Lux23

Deleted User wrote: »

There were other photos shown of him sitting on an upturned crate and one of him queuing up. Definitely set up for the greatest results.

Some people will believe anything to appease their guilt.

Slydice

I apologise for the typo in my last post which should have read 'September 2019' not 'August 2019'

First an update of the summary charts showing the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:



The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report October 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_october_2019.pdf

They show a month-on-month rise with the total now 10,514.
I've updated the two charts based on the numbers in the report.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness



I don't remember seeing numbers of babies of homeless families who were homeless when they were born before.
Focus Ireland says significant increase in babies born into homelessness
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/1117/1092457-focus-ireland-homeless-children/

Focus Ireland currently supports 1,215 children in Dublin and 142 of these children were born into families who were homeless.

Media
This sounds like people are going silent from fear
Broken society: Family living in shed is a sign Dublin is teetering on the edge
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/broken-society-family-living-in-shed-is-a-sign-dublin-is-teetering-on-the-edge-38697460.html

But there are plenty of other headlines, too, that speak of rampant homelessness corralled - if at all - by inadequate emergency accommodation.

and

Family support worker Amber Entwistle tells how the current housing crisis is worse than the recession for some vulnerable families.
"Some people are ashamed to get help because they're afraid of being reported and losing their children,"

This sounded so grim on reading It's desperate to think of a parent committing suicide because of their homelessless.
Children spent night alone with mother’s body in homeless accommodation
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/children-spent-night-alone-with-mother-s-body-in-homeless-accommodation-1.4101172

Two children were alone with their mother’s body overnight and most of the following day in their homeless accommodation in south Dublin last year, it has emerged.

and

Mrs Connors says she thinks her daughter was found after the boy wandered out. He was seen outside the room on CCTV footage. “Someone came down to the room to see what was happening, and that’s when they found her,” she said. “There were drugs involved. I’m told there was a needle and almost all her prescription drugs were gone. It looks to us like a kind of suicide.”

It also has signs of people going silent from fear like the previous article

Early in 2016, when the B&B closed, the family was moved to supported accommodation in Blackrock. Visitors were not allowed.
“She was miserable, but she didn’t want to be causing upset because it could go against her,” says Mrs Connors.

Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

riclad

I think the worst impact may be on young children,
they live in a hotel room,
there,s no space to play ,
you only get one chance at growing up.
when you live in a hotel you have to leave at a certain time,
you have to come back before 11pm approx.
its not a good environment to grow up in

the_syco

Slydice wrote: »

I don't remember seeing numbers of babies of homeless families who were homeless when they were born before.
Focus Ireland says significant increase in babies born into homelessness
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/1117/1092457-focus-ireland-homeless-children/

Does having a child increase the single homeless persons chance of getting a council house?

Wanderer78

There's gonna be some extremely disturbing psychological issues from these failures, and a virtually none existing mental health system to deal with it, this won't end well

ThunbergsAreGo

the_syco wrote: »

Does having a child increase the single homeless persons chance of getting a council house?

That's over 10 percent, an incredible statistuc. Focus Ireland are right it is appalling but I think, for once, the government are not the right target.

Why is the parent/parents even allowing the possibility of pregnancy in those circumstances? And more importantly where are these people's families? What has happened to the family unit in Ireland?

I feel so sorry for those children, the majority have no chance

Good to see the homeless family numbers coming down.

So, a drug addict overdoses and it’s the government’s fault?

WHY are babies being born into homelessness? Is THAT the government’s fault?

marieholmfan

Lux23 wrote: »

Some people will believe anything to appease their guilt.

Sociopaths don't feel guilt.

cursai

Which definition of 'homelessnes' do these figures cover. Are the populist definitions included or is it just strictly actual homelessness. Those figures seem high as we were on the verge of a mass emigration. E. G. Moses' exile.

marieholmfan

cursai wrote: »

Which definition of 'homelessnes' do these figures cover. Are the populist definitions included or is it just strictly actual homelessness. Those figures seem high as we were on the verge of a mass emigration. E. G. Moses' exile.

What are the 'populist definitions'?

lawred2

riclad wrote: »

I think the worst impact may be on young children,
they live in a hotel room,
there,s no space to play ,
you only get one chance at growing up.
when you live in a hotel you have to leave at a certain time,
you have to come back before 11pm approx.
its not a good environment to grow up in

no it's not

but yet they keep getting born into such environments

In those cases - some adult responsibility should play a part. If you choose to get pregnant in circumstances like that - you are utterly selfish.

riclad

The rule is you only get offered a house if you have 2 kids, or more.
a parent with one child will get offered a 2 bed apartment .
i don,t think every woman choose,s to get pregnant,
some people get pregnant by accident.

Gatling

riclad wrote: »

The rule is you only get offered a house if you have 2 kids, or more.
a parent with one child will get offered a 2 bed apartment .
i don,t think every woman choose,s to get pregnant,
some people get pregnant by accident.

If they are the same sex kids as in 2 boys or two girls they would still only be entitled to a two bed hence the multiple trying for the magic one boy and one girl to guarantee a 3 bed house ,

Entitlement and demand I want a 3 bed and I'm not taking anything else .

riclad

The council only build or buy, 2 bed apartments,
or buy 3 bed house,s .
if you are paying 300k for a house you might as well get a 3 bed .
its simple ,have one child,you get an apartment.
2 children or more you get a house.
Of course it takes years to get anything,
my friend was told you have one child,
You,ll get offered an apartment.
and she got a 2 bed apartment .
it makes no economic sense fro the council to build a 2bed house.
IF you want to be cynical about it theres no benefit to having more than 2 children if you want to get a house .
my friend left a council apartment,
the 2 bed apartment was vacant for 14 months before they gave it to a new tenant.
they just painted it and put in new carpets.

Slydice

First an update of the summary charts showing the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:



The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report November 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_november_2019.pdf

I've updated the two charts based on the numbers in the report.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness


This guy, Rob Cross, has recently updated his tweet about vacant sites in Dublin and the number of Homeless:
https://twitter.com/RobCross247/status/1208899898948640768


Media
This isn't the first medical and childhood development related impact that's been brought up. It worrying to think of the multiple issues building on top of one another.
Rising numbers of state’s most vulnerable children being treated for morbid obesity
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rising-numbers-of-states-most-vulnerable-children-being-treated-for-morbid-obesity-972633.html

Dr O’Malley, who also leads a research team at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said it is extremely difficult for parents to feed their children healthy food in cramped hotel rooms with little or no cooking facilities.
She said: “From the homelessness aspect it’s just being able to have access to cook and store food or to sit at a table together. That stability and continuity is vital to support health and development.
“It’s much harder to have wholefoods and vegetables. If you don’t have refrigeration it’s hard to keep dairy.
“So quick, cheap, high-calorie food makes the most sense but may provide less nutrition.
“It’s not a parental decision not to do the right thing. This is a decision operating within the confines of restricted choice and the child’s little body reacts to this stress.”

She said the discussion needs to shift from parental blame and look at society’s role in childhood obesity.

This was an odd one. I can't remember seeing a Judge direct that papers be served on a Minister before.
Plight facing brain damaged homeless man 'should not exist in a civilised state' says judge
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/plight-facing-brain-damaged-homeless-man-should-not-exist-in-a-civilised-state-says-judge-968704.html

A brain-damaged homeless man has been on remand for more than a year in Mountjoy Prison’s high dependency unit despite persistent reports he is of unsound mind and needs residential care, the president of the High Court has heard.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly, having been told a senior HSE official had cancelled a residential care plan due to "resource issues" and it was being proposed to discharge him to access homeless services, said this was a "staggering" and “truly awful situation and one that should not exist in a civilised state".

and

He directed that papers in the case be served on the Minister for Justice, the HSE, the Irish Prison Service and the DPP and returned the matter to next week.

Looks like the Judge got action taken from the details from the follow-up:
HSE to fund care place for brain-damaged homeless man who has been in Mountjoy for a year
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/hse-to-fund-care-place-for-brain-damaged-homeless-man-who-has-been-in-mountjoy-for-a-year-970102.html

The HSE has “at last” identified an appropriate place and made funding available for it, Mr Justice Peter Kelly remarked today.

It looks like the letting of children down and supply issues were acknowledged:
State is ‘letting children down’ on housing, says Minister
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/state-is-letting-children-down-on-housing-says-minister-1.4113137

The State is “letting children down” by having them live in emergency accommodation, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has said.
Mr Murphy was updating an Oireachtas housing committee on the progress of Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s plan for housing and homelessness, published in 2016 and branded an “abject failure” by housing campaigner Fr Peter McVerry.

'We're letting children down' - Murphy tells committee
https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/1212/1098790-housing-eoghan-murphy/

Minister Murphy acknowledged that there were not enough homes

Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

These numbers don't sound good for the immediate future:
34,000 new homes needed every year for next decade - Central Bank
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/1210/1098192-central-bank-housing-demand/

A study from the Central Bank has found that 34,000 new dwellings will be needed each year for the next decade to keep up with demand.

But following the crash, house construction collapsed and between 2011 and 2014 an average of just 5,500 houses a year were built.

But the population did not stop growing during those years.

Today's study from the Central Bank found that in order for housing to have kept up with the growth in the population, around 27,000 dwellings per year would have had to be built in the past eight years from 2011 until 2019.

However, the average housing completion rate for this period was just 10,500 dwellings a year.

It was also raised recently that it may be costing taxpayers more to not new council homes than it would to.. build new council homes
New figures show HAP will cost Government more than building new council homes
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/new-figures-show-hap-cost-17385400

Fianna Fail TD Darragh O’Brien said the average support to tenants will cost the State more than building a new home after 21 years.

Figures given to him by from Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy shows the State will spend over €844million on rent support this year, including €423million on the HAP scheme.

For 2019, the average monthly HAP payment was €829. This was provided to 48,261 households.

The average cost of building a new two-bedroom home nationally is €213,000.

beauf

Supply is only one half of the problem.

The other is demand. Is there any detailed analysis of this demand is coming from.
So these 34k houses per yr. Whats the breakdown of what they are and who will occupy them.
How are they being paid for. Things like that.

ThunbergsAreGo

beauf wrote: »

Supply is only one half of the problem.

The other is demand. Is there any detailed analysis of this demand is coming from.
So these 34k houses per yr. Whats the breakdown of what they are and who will occupy them.
How are they being paid for. Things like that.

I would like to know how much of existing social stock is being under utilised. Two people in a 4 bed etc

riclad

Say theres social housing, with 3 people in it,
2 young people leave, as long as the rent is paid, the tenant will stay there .
no one says would you like to move to a 1 bed council flat .
The present system is flawed .
Theres no incentive to move to a smaller council flat.
these images of kids eating dinner on the streets are fake news ,
in that there are places to go for people to buy dinner for 1 or 2 euro.
Theres no one starving, people staying in hotels have money to buy food.
this is not africa .
it,s a real image, but i think every mother has money to spend on food
or she can go to focus and buy a large dinner for 2 euros.
Of course most house,s built before 2008, have been sold to former tenants ,
the council either owns new buildings or flats, apartment,s in large social housing blocks .
I think the impact will be seen in the future on children growing up in a hotel room,
with no space to play ,you only get a chance to be young once.

60% in Dublin City CC council house tenants owe €33,000,000 in rent. How many homes would that build?

https://www.thejournal.ie/dublin-city-council-5-4956180-Jan2020/

NIMAN

Deleted User wrote: »

60% in Dublin City CC council house tenants owe €33,000,000 in rent. How many homes would that build?

https://www.thejournal.ie/dublin-city-council-5-4956180-Jan2020/

You don't often hear RTE tell you this.

Doesn't fit the national agenda.

Great news. Homelessness numbers dropping. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/homeless-figures-drop-below-10000-for-first-time-since-early-last-year-38908048.html I’m sure that the graphs will be posted later!

Slydice

First an update of the summary charts showing the trends for numbers of Adults and numbers of Familys (Adults and Children).
They are updated with the numbers for the latest month:



The Latest Report
The Homelessness Report December 2019 has been released:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report_-_december_2019_1.pdf

I've updated the two charts based on the numbers in the report.

Homelessness (Adults)


Family Homelessness



December 2018 compared to December 2019
I've also created two charts to compare the last years December drop to this years.

This looks almost like a copy of last years drop in the numbers of Family Homelessness:

I don't know why they didn't keep this going for the full year or if they will this year.

What is different from last year is the drop in the numbers of Homelessness (Adults):

It has the look of them finding some kind of similar arrangement for the Adults that they found for the Families.
Like the Family Homelessness, I don't know if they will keep this going for the full year.

Inner City Helping Homeless seem to have a concern about the numbers:
'Beware of false dawn', says charity as homelessness sees largest fall ever
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/beware-of-false-dawn-says-charity-as-homelessness-sees-largest-fall-ever-978545.html

Inner City Helping Homeless gave a cautious welcome to the drop.
ICHH said: “While we obviously welcome a substantial drop in the number of people that are homeless we would also air on the side of caution.
Every year we see a decline in the figures in December as many families made homeless in December choose to stay with family or friends over the Christmas period rather than spend the holidays in emergency accommodation.
"This has been a year-on-year trend and figures that come out in March usually see the spike begin again and by the summer the numbers continue to rise."

Number of Homeless
This guy, Rob Cross, has recently updated his tweet about vacant sites in Dublin and the number of Homeless:
https://twitter.com/RobCross247/status/1221925866143408128

New information was found recently about the number of homeless people around the country use a local post office as their home address:
Thousands of homeless use post office as mail address
Alarming new figures shed light on number of 'couch-surfers' staying with friends or family
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/thousands-of-homeless-use-post-office-as-mail-address-38834776.html

The figures, released to the Sunday Independent by An Post, show 2,803 homeless adults have registered a post office as their mailing address.
The figures have been made available for the first time since the service was created for homeless people last April.
Many of the registrations are in towns outside of the major cities, highlighting how homelessness is part of every community in Ireland.

Looks like there's a suggestion the Post Office numbers may be 'hidden homeless':
New figures for those giving post office as address raise 'hidden homeless' fears
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/new-figures-for-those-giving-post-office-as-address-raise-hidden-homeless-fears-973642.html

Reacting to the Sunday Independent figures, Conor Culkin from Focus Ireland says it highlights the lack of affordable housing across the country.
"These are people who are going under the radar of official figures ... They are people who can also often feel ashamed and embarassed in accessing homeless services."

Media
This was bad. This shouldn't have happened.
Homeless man in serious condition after tent removed by industrial vehicle
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2020/0115/1107513-dublin-homeless/

A man is in a serious condition in hospital after the tent he was sleeping in was removed from the banks of the Grand Canal by an industrial vehicle.
The homeless man was sleeping in a tent that was removed by the vehicle during works being carried out by Dublin City Council and Waterways Ireland.

A young woman in her 20s was found dead in the same week that the man suffered his injuries along the canal.
Young homeless woman found dead in Dublin hostel
https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/young-homeless-woman-found-dead-in-dublin-hostel-38867630.html

A young homeless woman has died in "tragic circumstances" in a hostel in Dublin.
The woman - who was in her late 20s - died at a hostel on Parkgate street on Wednesday evening.
She had been living in emergency accommodation at the Phoenix Lodge hostel.

This is very worrying as I assume homeless would be most vulnerable to this. I hope this is being looked into and stopped.
Cork landlord offers free rent for sex in shocking online ad
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/cork-landlord-offers-free-rent-for-sex-in-shocking-online-ad-974640.html

A flat in Cork city has been offered rent-free online in return for sex twice a week with the landlord.
The property in The Lough area was posted online on Wednesday in a classified advertisement site, run by a foreign registered company.
The advertisement said: "Looking for a female tenant who's into sharing their body twice a week for payment."

and

Edel Conlon, the southern regional manager of housing charity Threshold, said: "Threshold would advise not to consider any such arrangement and report the matter to An Garda Siochana."

This is worrying if hospitals are discharging elderly patients who don't have anywhere to go and end up distressed and alone in the streets
Concern for woman found near GPO by homeless volunteer last night
The woman, who was in a distressed state, told the volunteer she had been released from an acute hospital.
https://www.thejournal.ie/elderly-woman-gpo-4960424-Jan2020/

A WOMAN, WHO appeared to be homeless, was found wandering the streets of Dublin last night after being discharged from hospital.
The woman – believed to be in her 60s, although she initially told homeless outreach services she was 81 years old* – was found, cold and in a distressed state, near the GPO on O’Connell Street shortly after 9pm by a homeless volunteer who runs a soup kitchen every Thursday night.

Supply of homes
The solution has always been "to increase the supply of homes". The latest report does not have commentary where previous reports did. They used to include:

The long term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes

or:

The root cause of increased homelessness is the supply shortage across the housing sector, which in turn is a result of the recent economic collapse and the associated damage to the construction sector. Accordingly the long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes.

beauf

Slydice wrote: »

....
Like the Family Homelessness, I don't know if they will keep this going for the full year....:

..till the election. After that...

Love this from Slydices long post “ Every year we see a decline in the figures in December as many families made homeless in December choose to stay with family or friends over the Christmas period rather than spend the holidays in emergency accommodation. ”

They choose to stay with family over Christmas. So, they HAVE somewhere to go but chose not to.

Wanderer78

Deleted User wrote:

They choose to stay with family over Christmas. So, they HAVE somewhere to go but chose not to.

Choosing to stay with others isn't really a choice, we clearly have a highly dysfunctional and frankly dangerous housing problem, that may continue indefinitely

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

............

They choose to stay with family over Christmas. So, they HAVE somewhere to go but chose not to.

You won't get the forever home if you have somewhere to live.

Field east

Old diesel wrote: »

But they are still part of the demand Vs supply equation.

If they weren't here more accommodation would be available if amount of property to rent stayed.

The homeless might not literally stay in same units but people in other properties might move into where the MNC staff currently live. So property gets freed up all over.

Stopping them coming isn't the answer though .

Your post is of interest in that it is never highlighted- the opinion that if foreign nationals working with MNCs did not come that the ‘freed up accommodation’ would have an indirect knock- on affect on housing the homelessness situation
.
Would the same be true re the following but is never highlighted also. There are a significant number of blocks of one, two and 3 bedroom apartments currently being built / just built and rented around Dublin city. You are talking about 100s’ per block. Eg Kimmage road and Harold’s Cross Road areas. Would the tenants who will occupy these not free up accommodation in the city. ? And would they be leaving accommodation of a lower standard - and therefor maybe cheaper.
SO, is it not the case that all new builds - including upmarket type accommodation- has a direct/indirect impact on the provision of accommodation for the homeless. This , of course, is not going to solve the housing of the homeless, but it is never considered as making any contribution to the solution. Any comments on that sector are always negative

beauf

Not if the demographic never shares the same accommodation.

Someone has to move from low cost affordable housing to free it up.

If someone moves from America to an expensive new apartment in the Docklands that has freed up nothing.

What it means is these new builds have almost no effect on the housing crisis.

Wanderer78

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Choosing to stay with others isn't really a choice, we clearly have a highly dysfunctional and frankly dangerous housing problem, that may continue indefinitely

Or maybe we’ve become a highly dysfunctional society. Want a foreva home? Declare yourself homeless. But move back in with family, partner or children when it suits!

Wanderer78

Deleted User wrote:

Or maybe we’ve become a highly dysfunctional society. Want a foreva home? Declare yourself homeless. But move back in with family, partner or children when it suits!

Its well written about now, our current approach to housing is failing, catastrophically, and the disturbing thing is, we ve decided the best approach to dealing with this is do as we have been doing. I suspect this won't work, at all, but let's continue to ridicule and shame those that find themselves in this predicament, we re pretty good at doing that!

Wanderer78

Wanderer78 wrote: »

.......... ..those that find themselves in this predicament, we re pretty good at doing that!

Folk/couples on low incomes who decide to have multiple children that they can't house in the expectation that the state will cough up a house for them?

Who2

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Its well written about now, our current approach to housing is failing, catastrophically, and the disturbing thing is, we ve decided the best approach to dealing with this is do as we have been doing. I suspect this won't work, at all, but let's continue to ridicule and shame those that find themselves in this predicament, we re pretty good at doing that!

Yes the system is failing, why are people refusing perfectly good houses. I worked on 4 social houses a couple of years ago. Only one was taken up in the proceeding years.(because they were only 2 beds). We then worked on the same houses upgrading them last year to try and make them more appealing. As far as I’m aware they still aren’t taken. These are in Meath. There is another that’s been fully renovated sitting idle in Balbriggan that hasn’t been taken because there’s no downstairs toilet. It’s a joke when the average worker is nearly better off signing on, getting the girlfriend pregnant, not getting married and just put their hands out. God help the average worker with a few children heading for college. Sorry about the rant but what I’m seeing on the ground is very different to what’s been portrayed in the media.

The media and politicians can't mention that we only have a housing crisis as we've lots of wasters compounding the issue.

The Student

Who2 wrote: »

Yes the system is failing, why are people refusing perfectly good houses. I worked on 4 social houses a couple of years ago. Only one was taken up in the proceeding years.(because they were only 2 beds). We then worked on the same houses upgrading them last year to try and make them more appealing. As far as I’m aware they still aren’t taken. These are in Meath. There is another that’s been fully renovated sitting idle in Balbriggan that hasn’t been taken because there’s no downstairs toilet. It’s a joke when the average worker is nearly better off signing on, getting the girlfriend pregnant, not getting married and just put their hands out. God help the average worker with a few children heading for college. Sorry about the rant but what I’m seeing on the ground is very different to what’s been portrayed in the media.

You must be mistaken, we have thousands on the housing list desperate for their "forever home".

Is it April 1st already?

Mcdonnc5

Augeo wrote: »

Folk/couples on low incomes who decide to have multiple children that they can't house in the expectation that the state will cough up a house for them?

Or maybe a couple have children when they are doing well and then one partner becomes abusive and the other has to leave with the children and she works very hard in the medical sector and pays her damn taxes. And is so fed up of people that are bitter with one idea in their head of what these kind of "folk" are like. I help bring life into the world and help save lives every day and next week I will be in a B&B with my four children because my landlord is selling up and I have been looking desperately for three months. The council refuse to help me until we are on the streets. I will go to work and go back to a B&B. Get yourself educated before you discuss things your small mind knows nothing about.

Rodin

Mariah Better Ground wrote: »

Was there any reason for that child to be eating on the floor on Grafton St? Looks like a stunt tbh.

A stunt like bringing your children to a Garda station in their school uniforms in early August?