Significant drop in number of people requiring emergency accommodation in county Tipperary

The number of families and single people living in emergency accommodation in county Tipperary because they have no home has fallen significantly in the past three months, Tipperary County Council’s monthly meeting heard.

The council’s Director of Housing Services Sinead Carr outlined to councillors that in July there were 28 single people and 10 families in emergency B&B accommodation but that has now fallen to two families and 16 single people living in this temporary accommodation.

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In relation to the two families, the council had nearly found a solution for one family and was working on finding a solution for the second family.

Ms Carr pointed out that the situations of the 16 single people still living in emergency accommodation were more complicated and challenging than the families to solve.

The rise in homelessness has been caused by a rise in notices to quit issued to people availing of Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) as private landlords have been selling up due to rising house prices.

A shortage of private rental housing along with rising rents has made it difficult for these people to find a new home.

Ms Carr urged HAP and RAS recipients who receive a six month notice to quit their rental property to contact the council as soon as they receive the notice. She said council housing staff will work with them to source new accommodation over that six month period.