THERE are almost four times as many families homeless now in Limerick and the Clare than there were four years ago a shocking new report has revealed.
Family homelessness has risen by a frightening 400 per cent since 2021, according to a new report from from Focus Ireland.
Other key findings included a rise in children living in emergency accommodation by 415 per cent since June 2021 and over 210 per cent since 2014.
There were 237 child dependents in emergency accommodation in the Mid-West in June 2025, accounting for almost five per cent of the national total.
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The recently published Focus on Homelessness report for the Mid-West, representing Limerick and Clare, reveals that the level of family homelessness has increased by over 387 per cent since 2021.
And over the past ten years, that figure marks a 420 per cent increase since 2014, accounting for a higher share of national family homelessness than in 2021.
It also shows soaring expenditure on emergency accommodation as well as concerns surrounding the number of families entering emergency services for prolonged periods.
The expenditure by the local authorities in the Mid-West on services for households experiencing homeless was €18.2m in 2024, the majority of this (77 per cent) from Limerick City and County Council.
And the region continues to spend more on homelessness with a 58 per cent increase since 2020.
Meanwhile, nearly one in three families (29.2 per cent) were staying in emergency accommodation for over 12 months in 2025, compared to just 7.1% in 2022.
Speaking at the launch of the report this week at the Clayton Hotel in Limerick Niamh Allen, Head of Advocacy at Focus Ireland said: “The figures show that families and children are bearing the brunt of the housing crisis in the Mid-West. Behind every percentage increase are children growing up in emergency accommodation, often for extended periods.”
“We are spending more than ever on homelessness, both at national and local level. But the balance is wrong. Emergency accommodation dominates the budget, while prevention and long-term housing solutions remain underfunded. Unless resources are shifted, we will continue to see increases in the numbers of individuals and families entering homelessness”, she added.
The collapse in numbers finding private rentals was also highlighted by Ms Allen, describing “the near disappearance of private rental exits” as “deeply worrying.”
“Families who once relied on the private rental market, supported by schemes like HAP, now find that pathway closed. This places enormous pressure on social housing and Housing First tenancies, which cannot keep pace with demand.”
The number of households in emergency accommodation has increased by 86.5 per cent since 2021 and 111 per cent since 2014.
As of June this year, 513 households were recorded as living in emergency accommodation in the Mid West, accounting for 5.5 per cent of households nationally.
The number of men becoming homeless across the Mid West is also on the up – 312 men were living in emergency accommodation in June this year.
This number has increased by 60 per cent since June 2021 and almost 100 per cent since 2014.
In comparison, there were 277 women in emergency accommodation in the Mid West in June this year, and has jumped by a whopping 262 per cent since 2014 and 2021.
The majority of adults recorded as homeless this year were between the ages of 25-44 years of age, accounting for over 50 per cent, or 321 people, of the overall total in the Mid West.
This marks an almost 90 per cent rise since 2021 and nearly 200 per cent jump since 2014.
Young people are also experiencing acute levels of homelessness in the region, with a 203 per cent rise since 2021, while 45-64 year olds have seen an increase of over 120 per cent during the same time frame.
The number of over 65s living in emergency accommodation in the Mid West region has also witnessed a whopping 60 per cent increase since 2021.
However despite these stark figures, there are people finding homes in the, although those numbers have reduced significantly.
Between the third quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2025, there were 899 adult exits from emergency accommodation to housing in the region.
That figure rises to 2,621 exists from the beginning of 2014 to the second quarter of this year.
Some families are staying longer in emergency accommodation and in quarter two of this year almost 30 per cent of families found themselves there for over 12 months, compared to 7.1 per cent in 2022.
2025 has also seen a reduction in the number of Housing First tenancies created compared to 2024.
Three tenancies were created in the first and second quarters of this year, with an average of six tenancies created per quarter in 2024.
Since 2020, just 70 Housing First tenancies have been created in the Mid-West.
According to Focus Ireland, this report “underscores the urgent need for stronger prevention measures, expanded social housing, and sustained investment in tenancy supports to break the cycle of homelessness for families and children in the Mid West.”
They warn that “without a rebalancing of expenditure—away from emergency accommodation and toward prevention and long-term housing—the region risks locking families into homelessness for years to come.”