Catholic Bishops: Homelessness is a continual blight on society North and South

The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference stated that the rising number of people seeking emergency accommodation across Ireland is a failure of government and public policy. During their autumn general meeting in Maynooth, the Bishops' Commission for Social Issues and International Affairs released a report addressing the homelessness crisis in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In the Republic of Ireland, 17,885 people accessed emergency accommodation in August 2026. This figure represents a 111% increase since the Housing for All plan began in 2021 and a 169% increase over the last ten years.

In Northern Ireland, more than 5,600 people are living in emergency accommodation, while over 90,000 people are applicants for social housing. The bishops attributed the accelerating problem to a low supply of social housing and high demand. They also noted that the absence of a budget in Northern Ireland has left authorities relying solely on emergency accommodation. The bishops stated that addressing the economic root causes of homelessness is necessary to serve human dignity and the common good.