Highest number of Midlands homeless in Westmeath

The latest homelessness figures for the Midlands show that there were 131 people in local authority managed emergency accommodation during the month of August.

Sixty-six of those were male, while 65 were female.

Westmeath recorded the highest number of homelessness in the Midlands in that time-frame, with 50 people accessing emergency accommodation for the week of August 22-28.

Offaly recorded the second highest figure, standing at 41 people, while 20 were recorded in Laois; and 20 in Longford.

The figures show that 35 families accessed emergency accommodation in the Midlands during that time, made up of 49 adults and 59 children. Twenty-four of those were single parent families

The statistics also show that of the overall Midlands figure, 19 of them were aged between 18-24; while 82 were in the 25-44 age bracket; 28 aged between 45-64; and two were aged 65 or over.

Citizenship

The figures also show that 97 were Irish; 17 were from the EEA (The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or the UK, while 17 were classed as non-EEA

Accommodation types

A total of 92 were housed in PEA - Private Emergency Accommodation: this includes hotels, B&Bs and other residential facilities that are used on an emergency basis; while 39 were in TEA (Temporary Emergency Accommodation).

There were none in STA (Supported Temporary Accommodation) which includes accommodation in family hubs, or hostels.

Homelessness figures for the Dublin region stood at 5,326 homeless for the same period, while 192 were recorded in Meath; 168 in Kildare.

The Department’s official homelessness statistics are published on a monthly basis and refer to the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities during a specific count week, typically the last full week of the month.