Homelessness crisis spirals as figures surge past 17,500 – Sheehan
Homelessness crisis spirals as figures surge past 17,500 – Sheehan - The Labour Party
- Labour calls for State construction company and eviction ban
Labour housing spokesperson Deputy Conor Sheehan has today responded to the publication of the latest homelessness figures for March 2026, which show 17,517 people now living in emergency accommodation, including 5,571 children, warning that Ireland is on a trajectory towards 20,000 homeless.
Speaking today, Deputy Sheehan said Government must act immediately to halt the crisis, including introducing a three-year moratorium on evictions and establishing a State construction company to deliver affordable homes at scale.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“The latest figures are nothing short of a national disgrace. These are the highest figures ever recorded in the history of the state. 17,517 people without a home, including 5,571 children, and still the Government continues to drift. We are hurtling towards 20,000 people in homelessness and there is no sense of urgency. Behind every number is a person, a family, a child growing up without stability or security. I feel like a broken record because it’s the same thing every month. We know the majority of people entering homelessness come from the private rental sector, yet Government refuses to take any action to stop this.
“This week we also heard stark warnings from the Construction Industry Federation that measures in the budget to stimulate apartment delivery are at best going to wiped out due to increased fuel and raw material costs. That should set alarm bells ringing across Government. It confirms what Labour has been saying all along. The market is not going to fix this crisis. We need the State to step in and take responsibility for delivering homes at scale. That is why Labour is calling for the establishment of a State construction company to build affordable homes and bring costs under control.
“At the same time, we need immediate emergency measures to keep people in their homes. A three-year moratorium on evictions is essential to stem the tide into homelessness while supply catches up. Without this, we will continue to see more families pushed into emergency accommodation every single month. Government cannot keep standing over a system that allows this to happen.
“This crisis is not inevitable. It is the direct result of political choices. We can choose to protect renters, to invest in public housing, and to build the homes people need. What is missing is the political will to act.
“Government must now treat this as the emergency that it is. Introduce a moratorium on evictions, establish a State construction company, and deliver the homes that people desperately need. Every day of delay means more families losing their homes and more children growing up in homelessness. That cannot continue.”