Facts & Figures
Facts about homelessness in Ireland
It is difficult to know the exact number of people who are homeless in Ireland. Many types of homelessness are hidden such as people staying in temporary, insecure housing with relatives or friends, living in bed and breakfast accommodation and squatting.
Each year the Simon Communities work with up to 5,000 people in Ireland.
The most recent Government figures relating to homelessness in Ireland are available from the 2011 Census and from The Local Authority Assessment of Social Housing Needs 2011. All of these figures are snapshot figures meaning they are collected at a single point in time.
3,808 people were counted in accommodation providing shelter for people who are homeless or were identified as sleeping rough on Census Night 2011. There was no self-identification question on homelessness on the Census form.
The Local Authority Assessment of Social Housing Needs 2011 showed 98,318 households were in need of social housing support in 2011. The largest category of need by far was those unable to meet the cost of accommodation – accounting for about two-thirds (66.8%) of households, with the next biggest category of need, persons in need of accommodation for medical or compassionate reasons, accounted for one-tenth of households (9.7%). This was followed by those involuntary sharing (8.7%). Homeless households and older people respectively account for just over 2 per cent of need, while Traveller families, unfit accommodation and people with a disability each accounted for less than 2% of the country’s net housing need.
· Persons not reasonably able to meet the cost of the accommodation they are occupying or to obtain suitable alternative accommodation: 65,643
· Persons in need of accommodation for medical or compassionate reasons: 9,548
· Persons sharing accommodation involuntarily and having requirements for separate accommodation: 8,534
· Persons living in accommodation which is overcrowded: 4,594
· Homeless Households: 2,348
· Elderly persons: 2,266
· Travellers: 1,824
· Persons living in accommodation that is unfit or materially unsuitable: 1,708
· Disabled or handicapped persons: 1,315
· Young persons leaving institutional care or without family accommodation: 538
Facts about Cork Simon
· Cork Simon supports men and women, young people in their late teens and early twenties as well as older people.
· Cork Simon provides 118 beds, 365 days a year:
o 44 beds at our Emergency Shelter
o 47 beds in five High Support Houses
o 27 beds through Housing Support
· Throughout 2012 some 1,000 people turned to Cork Simon for help.
o 410 people stayed at our Emergency Shelter, which was full every night
o Over 200 people attended over 2,000 appointments at the Day Service
o 157 people were supported by Cork Simon’s housing projects
· The majority of people using Cork Simon services are male – in 2011, 81% of people using Cork Simon services were men and 19% women. The number of women using Cork Simon services has increased by 40% since 2009.
· The average age of people using Cork Simon services is 38 years. An increasing number of people in 18-34 year old age group are accessing support. In 2011, 41% of people were in this age group.
· 66 people were recorded as long-term homeless at the end of 2011 – an increase of 15% on the previous year and an increase of 62% compared to 2009. Long term homelessness is defined by the government as stays of six months or more in emergency accommodation because they have no where else to go.
· Throughout 2011, the Soup Run met on average 21 people per night. The Soup Run operates every night of the year.
· Cork Simon was established in 1971 and last year marked its 40th anniversary of working with people who are homeless.
· Cork Simon has 1,000 active volunteers and over 6,000 donors.
