Dublin Simon Community calls on the Government to reduce homelessness by 2,000 households in 2027
As monthly homelessness figures are released, Dublin Simon is calling on the Government to make the necessary provisions in Budget 2027 to drastically reduce the number of people in emergency accommodation
Dublin, 25 Sept 2026: As homelessness figures are released and with Budget 2027 firmly on the horizon, Dublin Simon Community is calling on the Government to provide the necessary resources across housing, health and social care to see 2,000 individuals and families in Dublin to exit homelessness next year.
This latest figures show 17,885 in emergency accommodation nationwide, with 12,429 in Dublin alone, amounting to a 5% year-on-year increase.
The charity wants to see those in power set specific, accountable targets to begin consistently reducing the number of people in emergency accommodation, which has grown by thousands in recent years.
The call, outlined in Dublin Simon Community’s 2027 Pre-Budget Submission, would represent a significant increase on the 1,350 households that exited Dublin homelessness services into permanent housing in 2025. The charity says the 2,000-household target is essential if Dublin is to move away from simply managing record levels of emergency accommodation and towards permanently ending people’s experience of homelessness.
Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said: “Emergency accommodation should be a short-term response to a crisis, not a long-term substitute for a home. We need to judge our progress by how many people we help leave homelessness behind for good.”
“Budget 2027 provides the Government with an opportunity to set a clear and ambitious goal: 2,000 households exiting homelessness into permanent homes in Dublin next year. That target must be matched with the capital funding for building social housing and the necessary supports required to make those exits sustainable.”
Dublin Simon is also calling for a dedicated, fully funded Dublin strategy to address single-adult homelessness, warning that single people face particularly severe barriers to finding an affordable and secure home. Of the 7,304 single adults in emergency accommodation nationally, 4,881 are in Dublin, making the capital the epicentre of the crisis.
The situation is being compounded by the continuing flow of people into homelessness. Dublin Simon’s Pre-Budget Submission highlights that, on average during 2026, 128 single adults are becoming newly homeless in Dublin each month, while only 58 are exiting homelessness into housing.
Ms Kenny said: “These figures show why the status quo cannot continue. For every person securing a home, more people are entering homelessness behind them. Unless we dramatically increase the number of sustainable exits, emergency accommodation will remain under relentless pressure.
“Single adults are particularly exposed. They are competing for an extremely limited supply of affordable one-bedroom homes and often have few housing options available to them. We need a specific plan that recognises the scale and distinct nature of single-adult homelessness and provides real pathways into permanent housing.”
The organisation says these measures should form part of a wider shift in homelessness policy towards prevention, permanent housing and sustained exits rather than an ever-growing reliance on emergency accommodation.
Kenny added, “Budget 2027 must be the point at which we begin to turn the tide. That means preventing more people from entering homelessness, creating significantly more routes out, and making sure that single adults are no longer left with nowhere to go.”
Notes for editors
In addition to a dedicated Dublin homelessness strategy, Dublin Simon Community is calling on the Government and local authorities to:
- prioritise housing allocations for people experiencing long-term homelessness and living in emergency accommodation;
- accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing;
- introduce a cross-departmental framework recognising homelessness as a complex housing, health and social care crisis;
To support Dublin Simon Community’s work or learn more, visit www.dubsimon.ie.
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Media queries
Marcus Heagney
Senior PR & Communications Executive
Email: marcusheagney@dubsimon.ie
Phone: +353 86 815 0255