Demand for emergency accommodation from Simon continues to rise amid housing shortage

There has been a 33% increase in people accessing emergency accommodation services of the Simon Communities of Ireland in the past year, as the number of people seeking help continues to rise. 

In its annual report, the charity says it supported 24,127 people last year, including 2,416 children.

"The number of people accessing emergency accommodation is increasing again," a Simon Communities spokesperson said. In response, the charity has brought forward the Simon Bill, which aims to provide increased protection for those facing eviction.

The purpose of the Simon Bill is to provide increased protection for those facing eviction and deemed to be at risk of homelessness.

"Homeless services and local authorities are regularly contacted by people who are coming to the end of a tenancy notice period, and are imminently at risk of homelessness, having been unable to source alternative accommodation," the Simon spokesperson said.

"In such a case if a local authorities determine a person or family are ‘at risk of homelessness’ the amendment will trigger an extension in the notice period for that household to prevent homelessness," they explained. 

They say this determination and extension should be accompanied by a commitment to ensure that the individual or family effected will be given all available supports to take advantage of the extension and secure alternative accommodation as soon as possible

A recent Locked Out report from Simon found an alarming drop in the properties available to people. 

"This Locked Out report indicates a worrying 79% decrease in properties available under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme during the study period. This escalating lack of affordability is placing more and more pressure on the most vulnerable in the rental market," said Wayne Stanley, head of policy and communications at the Simon Communities of Ireland.

"The sharp contraction of supply, documented in this report, is likely to contribute to the rising monthly numbers of people forced to enter homelessness. These numbers demand that we respond with solutions that will prevent individuals and families from being evicted into homelessness. We will be calling again on Government to support the Simon prevention Bill," he added.