Publications and reports Homeless Watch Homeless watch Updated September 2020 400 Adults in Emergency Accommodation in Cork According to figures from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government there were 8,702 men, women and children in emergency accommodation nationally during the week of 24-30 August 2020. CORK 400 adults were recorded to be staying in emergency accommodation in Cork during the week of 24-30 August 2020 - a fall of 5% in twelve months but a 6% increase since July 2020. Source: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government This 5% decline can be attributed to the health & safety measures introduced in emergency shelters because of Covid-19 combined with Government measures such as the moratorium on evictions and rent increases in the private rented sector. SOUTHWEST 686 men, women and children were recorded to be staying in emergency accommodation in the Southwest (Cork and Kerry) during the week of 24-30 August 2020 - a fall of 23% in twelve months. Source: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government This 23% decline can be attributed to the health & safety measures introduced in emergency shelters because of Covid-19 combined with Government measures such as the moratorium on evictions and rent increases in the private rented sector. It is also worth noting that these figures only capture people in emergency accommodation and don’t reflect the full scale of the homeless crisis. People rough sleeping, those in squats, parents and children in refuges, those in direct provision and the hidden homeless – people staying with family or friends on an insecure basis, often in over-crowded accommodation, because they have no where else to stay – are not counted. “When I starts going in [to the Emergency Shelter] I didn’t know what to be expecting. I’d never been in that situation before. And to be honest I was just sitting there looking around me thinking what am I after doing to myself.” Rents at all-time high. Supply at all-time low. According to latest rental report (Q1 2020) from Daft.ie, asking rents in Cork City increased 4.8% from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020; they increased by 3.8% in Cork County during the same period. Average asking rent during Q1 2020 in Cork City was €1,396 per month – the highest on record; average asking rent during Q1 2020 in Cork County was €1,045 per month – also the highest on record. The report noted a “new low” for housing stock in Munster, with just 570 homes available to rent in Munster on May 1st 2019 – down 200% year-on-year and a new low for availability in a series that starts in 2006. According to the same report, there were just 769 properties advertised for rent in Munster on 01 April 2020, the second lowest total since late 2006. The Simon Communities in Ireland’s recent study, Assessing the initial impact of COVID-19 crisis on rental availability, found that on 02 March 2020 there were just 40 properties available to rent in Cork City Centre. This figure increased to 58 properties on 25 March, as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. In Cork City suburbs, there were just 59 properties available to rent on 02 March 20202, increasing to 62 properties on 25 March. “The prices are ridiculous. It’s Cork at the minute; it’s crazy to get anywhere, like. You find one that’s in your price range and there’s six, seven other people in front of you there and a lot of them have cash in their hand ready to go because they know how hard it is. I’ve got so many times just refused, just refused.” Average asking rent for a one-bed property in Cork City, according to the latest rental report (Q1 2020) from Daft.ie, is €1,070 – almost double the Rent Allowance / Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limit for a single person. The Simon Communities in Ireland’s recent report, Assessing the initial impact of Covid-19 crisis on rental availability, found that on two dates in March 2020 (02 March and 25 March) no properties were available to rent in Cork City under standard or discretionary HAP limits for a single person. Discretionary HAP refers to flexibility of up to 20%, approved case-by-case. “And even with the rent allowance, it makes no difference to me. It’s no benefit.” Average asking rent for a 2 bed property in Cork City Centre according to the latest rental report (Q1 2020) from Daft.ie is €1,182 – 28% higher than the €925 Rent Allowance / HAP limit for a couple or single parent and two children. The Simon Communities in Ireland’s recent report, Assessing the initial impact of COVID-19 crisis on rental availability found that on two dates in March 2020 (02 & 25 March) no properties were available to rent in Cork City within Rent Allowance / HAP limits for a couple or single parent and two children, and just three properties were available to rent within the discretionary Rent Allowance / HAP limit, two of which were only suitable for a couple or single parent and one child. Renters at high risk of poverty The Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) in Ireland, compiled by the CSO, found almost one in six people in Ireland (17%) are at risk of poverty. It found, however, that 61% of people in rental accommodation are at risk of poverty. 27% of people seeking support at our Soup Run live in private rented accommodation, indicating this poverty trap – when rent and bills are paid, there is little left for food. More people in employment in need of social housing The percentage of people in employment and on the Social Housing Waiting List for Cork City has close to trebled since 2013 and now stands at 33%, indicating people’s increasing difficulty in accessing the housing and rental market. In total, 6,627 households in Cork city and county require social housing – 3,118 households in Cork City and a further 3,509 households in Cork County are registered as in need of social housing. Source: Summary of Social Housing Assessment Needs 2018