Focus Ireland Calls for Clearer Political Commitments on Homelessness During Election Campaign at the European Housing First Hub's Annual Conference in Dublin Castle

Mr. Allen told the over 240 delegates that while homelessness has risen by 45% since the last general election—from 10,146 people in February 2020 to 14,760 in September 2024—it has been notably absent from political discourse. He welcomed recent comments by An Taoiseach Simon Harris, who expressed being “ashamed” that children in Ireland remain in emergency homeless accommodation, calling it a “welcome expression of humane feeling.” However, Mr. Allen stressed that effective governance requires action, not just empathy.

“While Mr. Harris’ comments reflect the public’s compassion, voters want to hear clear, actionable plans from all politicians seeking election,” he said.

Mr. Allen noted that although all political parties have included sections on homelessness in their manifestos, many proposals remain vague. He pointed out a stark decline in engagement with the issue compared to the 2020 election. In their 2020 manifestos, Fine Gael mentioned homelessness 31 times and Fianna Fáil 33 times. In 2024, these figures have dropped to 9 and 4 mentions, respectively.  On a more positive note, for the delegates from over Europe who are delivering Housing First services, it was welcome that every party recognised the importance of extending Housing First programmes in their manifestos.

“While the recognition of one successful programme is welcome, this decline in attention to the wider problem and its solutions is deeply concerning. While mentions alone are not the measure of commitment, the specific policy proposals seen in 2020 have largely been replaced by generalities in 2024,” he said.

Mr. Allen acknowledged the emphasis on increasing housing supply in manifestos but cautioned against viewing this as a panacea for homelessness.

“Building more homes is crucial, and it’s positive to see cross-party agreement on this. However, housing supply alone will not solve the homelessness crisis. Last year, Ireland built more social homes than it had in years, yet few homeless households were able to access them, and homelessness still increased,” he explained.

To reverse the trend, Mr. Allen called for:

• Targeted use of housing supply, ensuring a portion of new homes is ring-fenced for homeless households.
• Investment in wraparound supports, including mental health services, care work, and community development initiatives.

“With over 4,000 children currently living in emergency homeless accommodation, Ireland’s incoming Government will be faced by a moral imperative to act. It would be a greater shame if we, during this election, we fail to demand to hear robust plans about how they will act effectively,” Mr. Allen concluded.

For further information, please contact: 

Conor Culkin (he/him)

Communications Officer

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