A RECORD 448 people, including children, have no home in which to celebrate Christmas in Limerick this year.
And, according to Focus Ireland, some of those on the homeless list are newborns.
Focus Ireland has issued an urgent appeal for donations. The charity says it has been working harder than ever in 2024 supporting 111 families in Limerick who were homeless or at risk of losing their home.
In Limerick, there are 448 people in emergency accommodation according to latest Department of Housing figures, along with 210 children homeless in the Mid West region.
Nationally, 14,966 people, including 4,645 children in 2,161 families, will spend the festive season in emergency accommodation.
In Dublin, almost 380 families are facing their second – in some cases their third and fourth – Christmas experiencing homelessness.
Focus Ireland’s ‘Children Can’t Wait’ appeal seeks to rally support for those affected by homelessness and raise awareness of the urgent need for safe, stable housing.
The campaign which aims to raise €1.3million for homelessness services, as record numbers of families face the trauma of homelessness this winter.
With much emergency accommodation now reaching capacity, many families are experiencing the distressing reality of ‘hidden homelessness’, staying in unsuitable, often unsafe accommodation.
Launching the appeal, Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan, said: “We believe that every child deserves a place to call home, especially during Christmas. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are 4,645 children facing Christmas in emergency accommodation or, worse, living in hidden homelessness.”
“That’s more than four and a half thousand young lives interrupted, facing obstacles they should never have to face, and it is heartbreaking to know that some of these children are
just newborn babies and will be spending their first ever Christmas experiencing homelessness.”
The latest Department of Housing Report shows that homelessness has risen by 47 per cent since February 2020, with a 34 per cent increase in family homelessness and a 31 per cent increase in child homelessness in the same period.
“Our fundraising appeal seeks not just to provide immediate relief, but to foster long-term solutions that will give families a future they can look forward to,” Mr Dennigan said.
Donations to Focus Ireland’s Christmas appeal will go directly towards supporting families facing homelessness, providing emergency accommodation, housing advice, and long-term housing solutions, and can be made on focusireland.ie, by phone on 01 881 5900 or by email on [email protected].
