In 2024, NOVAS worked with 6,300 people across Ireland, providing housing, specialist supports, emergency accommodation and advocacy to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This represents a 160% increase over the past decade and highlights both the scale of the challenge and the depth of our response.

Our 2024 Annual Report reflects a year of innovation, resilience and collaboration. It tells the story of people who have overcome immense obstacles, the dedication of our staff and volunteers and the impact of our partnerships with funders, statutory agencies and community organisations.

Some of the findings are deeply concerning — particularly the growing number of people spending longer periods in emergency accommodation and the continued rise in rough sleeping in Limerick. Yet, the report also offers hope. In 2024, NOVAS provided housing for 1,419 people, offering lasting solutions to homelessness and continued to expand services that prevent homelessness and support recovery.

As Chair of NOVAS’ Board notes, “The housing crisis is solvable and our shared goal of ending homelessness by 2030 is achievable.”

We invite you to explore the 2024 Annual Report to learn more about our work, the people we support, and our plans for the future.

📘 Read the full report

Together, we can build a future where everyone has a place to call home.

As we approach the release of Budget 2026 on October 7th, NOVAS is again urging the Irish Government to make homelessness a core priority. In a year that has seen record-high levels of homelessness, including more than 5,000 children without a secure home, urgent and decisive action is needed now more than ever.

Every day, NOVAS supports individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We see the devastating human cost of policy inaction: children growing up in hotels and B&Bs, families forced into emergency accommodation and vulnerable adults whose health deteriorates without stable housing. Yet we also know that homelessness is preventable and solvable with the right measures.

The current homelessness crisis can be turned around. With evidence-based reforms, targeted funding and political commitment the number of households experiencing homelessness can be significantly reduced, moving us toward the shared national goal of ending homelessness in Ireland by 2030.

In our 2026 Pre-Budget Submission, NOVAS sets out clear, practical recommendations:

• Accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing through increased capital investment and higher annual supply targets.

• Prevent homelessness before it begins by expanding rent supports, supporting targeted schemes such as tenant-in-situ and Housing First and scaling up early intervention measures for at-risk households.

• Strengthen frontline homeless services, ensuring high-quality service provision, prioritising single-room occupancy and providing sustainable funding for organisations working directly with people in crisis.

• Improve health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness with ring-fenced funding for mental health, addiction and dual diagnosis services.

Una Burns, Head of Advocacy and Communications with NOVAS, noted:
“While homelessness continues to grow, we know that it is solvable. With the right policies and investment we can make lasting change for thousands of households across the country and realise our collective ambition of ending homelessness.”

NOVAS is calling on the Government to use Budget 2026 as a turning point — by investing in the homes, services and supports that will give people the stability and dignity they deserve.

Read our 2026 Pre-Budget Submission.

ENDS

Homelessness in Ireland has reached record levels throguhout 2025. For the first time ever, national figures exceed 16,000, with more than 5,000 children living in emergency homeless accommodation. According to the latest figures published by the Department of Housing, 16,058 people are experiencing homelessness. This marks an increase of 143 compared to the previous month and a rise of 1,755 compared to the numbers reported in July 2024. The numbers continue to rise unabated. Urgent and decisive action from the government is needed now more than ever. 

The data only includes individuals accessing state funded emergency homeless accommodation across Ireland. People who are rough sleeping, living in squats, living in domestic violence refuges or those who are hidden homeless are not included in the figures. People who seek International Protection are also not captured in this data. 

This week thousands of children returned to school from a hotel room, many of whom have been living in these utterly unsuitable arrangements for years. We must ringfence social housing for households who experience long-term homelessness and we must invest in preventative measures. 

As we approach Budget 2026, we urge the government to ensure that housing supply, homeless accommodation and comprehensive prevention measures are adequately and sustainably resourced. Only by addressing these areas at the scale required can we meaningfully respond to the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis. 

July 2025 Key Statistics: 

• Total homeless population: 16,058 

• Adults: 11,044 

• (of which) Single adults: 7,075 

• Young adults (ages 18 – 24): 1,932 

• Families: 2,343 

• (of which) single parent families: 1,348 

• Children (under 18): 5,014 

 

Gender Breakdown (Adults): 

• Male: 6,665 

• Female: 4,379 

There was another rise in national homeless figures in August, according to the most recent data released by the Department of Housing today. In August, there were 14,486 people recorded as living in temporary and emergency homeless accommodation in the state; 10,067 adults and 4,419 children. This was an increase of 57 people from the previous month.

Except for January, figures have risen every month this year and across a 12-month period, homelessness has risen by 14%. Young adults aged 18-24 years presenting to homeless services rose by 2.5%. These figures do not include households who experienced hidden homelessness; those who are rough sleeping, sofa surfing, those involuntary sharing with multiple generation and people who live in substandard accommodation. Nor does it include people living in domestic violence shelters or migrants seeking international protection.

Una Burns, Head of Advocacy and Communications expressed ‘grave concern’ in relation to the new figures and noted that ‘their publication come in the backdrop of the 2025 Budget next week, which must reflect the reality on the ground of more and more households experiencing homelessness.’ She called on government to ‘prioritise prevention measures including the scaling of the current tenant-in-situ scheme and a revision of existing housing targets that reflect our new reality.’ Tacking the homeless crisis with purpose and urgency must be the top priority for Budget 2025. ‘Greater focus on prevention, accelerated supply of social and affordable housing and ringfenced housing for people who spend protracted periods of time in homeless accommodation must all be part of the multi-strand, multi-departmental and multi-agency approach to tackling the spiralling crisis. Homelessness is solvable and this Budget must reflect the government’s commitment to ending homelessness by 2030.’

There are now more than 4,500 children homeless in Ireland. Not only is the number still rising but families are also homeless for longer, with many spending years in emergency accommodation. This increases the harm and trauma that homelessness can cause.

NOVAS is working hard to house more families as quickly as possible, but due to the housing crisis and lack of housing available, this has become increasingly difficult.

What makes this situation worse is that emergency accommodation for families generally doesn’t have cooking facilities, with families often relying on take-away food for weeks and months and even years on end. It is eaten on laps, sitting on beds, in one room and has a negative impact on children’s physical and mental health.

Families in this situation can feel hopeless. But there is something you can do to help. You can give hope with a donation to NOVAS. In this way, you can help provide a wide range of supports for families including preventive services for families at risk of becoming homeless, housing support, intensive family support services as well as counselling and addiction services for the most vulnerable people in your community.

To give hope and provide this support for a family today, visit www.novas.ie/donate to make a donation. Together we can make a difference.