Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has called on Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to immediately introduce a winter ban on evictions. The call comes as the Department of Housing released homeless figures for August showing a dramatic increase in the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation funded by the Department.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The latest Department of Housing homeless report shows a dramatic rise in the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation in August.

“There were 10,805 people, including 3,220 children, in Department of Housing funded emergency accommodation at the end of last month. This is an increase of 237 people, including 83 children on the July figures.

“All categories of homelessness are up, including families and single people.

“With social housing targets not being met and more single property landlords leaving the market, we are fast approaching an official homeless figure of 11,000.

“The news comes in a week when the Minister for Housing failed to get any increase in social housing targets included in Budget 2023 nor funding for any new initiative to prevent homelessness.

“Minister O’Brien must immediately introduce a winter ban on evictions. He should follow the lead of Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland who introduced an emergency winter ban on evictions earlier this month.

“The Minister also needs to accelerate the tenant-in-situ scheme to prevent more families becoming homeless and increase and accelerate the delivery of social homes.”