Focus Ireland sees 12% increase in number of supported individuals

In 2023, Focus Ireland saw a 12% increase in the number of people seeking support from the charity, with over 1,850 families engaging with their services. The charity also helped 480 families either stay in their own homes or exit homelessness.

According to the Department of Housing, there were 14,429 people in emergency accommodation in July, with over 4,400 of them being children. Focus Ireland’s founder, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, called this situation “utterly unacceptable.”

CEO Pat Dennigan described 2023 as a challenging year due to the rising numbers. Focus Ireland managed to support 486 families with children out of homelessness and helped nearly 100 families secure homes through collaboration with the State.

Dennigan emphasized the importance of improving access to social housing for families in long-term homelessness and called on the government to allocate a portion of new social housing to these families.

Both Dennigan and Sister Stan stressed the need for a holistic approach to addressing homelessness and the urgent need for more one-bed and family accommodations to tackle the crisis.