Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Ireland’s Emergency Homelessness Reaches Record 17,308 in February

The figures predate sweeping rental changes.

Overview

  • Department of Housing data show 17,308 people in emergency accommodation in February, up 196 from January, including 11,851 adults and 5,457 children.
  • The snapshot does not reflect the rental law changes that took effect on March 1, so any impact from those rules is not yet visible in the data.
  • The new framework requires six-year leases for new tenancies and extends rent caps across the country with increases tied to inflation.
  • Residential Tenancies Board figures show eviction notices rose 41% in the last quarter of 2025 compared with a year earlier, and charities say many people in crisis are not counted in the official totals.
  • The Taoiseach defends the reforms, says tenancies have increased, and cites €9bn in housing funding and 36,000 homes built last year as the government pushes to expand supply.