Single adults in homelessness virtually ignored in housing plan
Single adults in homelessness virtually ignored in housing plan - The Labour Party
- Lack of a specific strategy for single adults in homelessness worrying
- Single adult households account for around two thirds of households on social housing waiting lists
Labour Housing Spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has said that single adults in homelessness have been virtually ignored in Government’s new housing plan and the lack of a specific strategy around getting single adults out of long-term homelessness is worrying.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Minister Browne said on media that he cannot say when the homeless figures will start to fall but the fact of the matter is that homeless figures cannot fall without a specific strategy for single adults in homelessness.
“I welcome the increased emphasis in the new housing plan around getting families out of homelessness, in fact many of these measures were first proposed by the Labour Party on numerous occasions.
“To quote directly from the new housing plan ‘Single adult households account for around two thirds of households on social housing waiting lists and this proportion is steadily increasing every year.’
“However, with the exception of a line that says a ‘key focus will be to increase the supply of one-bedroom properties and four-bedroom properties to provide more stock to allocate to single adults and large families’, there is no mention of a strategy for single adults in or at risk of homelessness in the plan.
“We know that single adults are exposed to long stays in emergency accommodation, rough sleeping and a revolving door from service to service.
“They are forced to navigate this alone and are often subjected to substantial physical and emotional trauma. I know from engaging with service providers in my own constituency such as NOVAS.
“In their 2024 annual report they said that 2024 was the first year in our history where the number of people we supported has fallen. The reason for this decline was not a reduction in need, demand for our services had never been greater, but rather the increasing length of time people were forced to remain in homeless accommodation. This is a trend that is replicated right across the country.
“According to the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive there were 4,986 single adults in emergency accommodation at the end of September 2025, which represents an increase of 15 on last month. This figure was 4,726 for September 2024. That is a 6% increase in single adults in emergency accommodation in the Dublin Region over the past 12 months.
“The proposal to expand Housing First by 50% to 2000 tenancies is welcome but will not adequately address this alone and a bespoke plan for single people in or at risk of homelessness should have formed a key pillar of this strategy.”