The longest stay in homeless accommodation is three years

IT WAS revealed at the latest SDCC Tallaght Area Meeting that the longest stay in homeless accommodation in the Tallaght area is “approximately three years”.

The statement was made following a question regarding the longevity of an applicant’s stay in homeless accommodation, which was posed by Councillor Patrick Holohan this week.

According to SDCC, the time a household spends in emergency accommodation varies according to a number of factors, including household composition, accommodation needs, the availability of suitable housing and the household’s length of time on the social housing waiting list.

When a household “does not have an active social housing application, is awaiting qualified housing applicant status, has specific accommodation needs that limit the available options, or has refused reasonable offers of accommodation”, longer stays may occur.

SDCC emphasised the work its Homeless Services Team does to help households move out of emergency accommodation.

The Team works to provide appropriate pathways, including private rented accommodation supported by enhanced Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), relevant NGO services and social housing allocations for those seeking help.

“We are committed to helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness move from emergency accommodation into secure, sustainable, long-term housing.

“Social housing allocations continue to be prioritised for households experiencing homelessness.

At the same meeting, Councillor Holohan also questioned the average time an individual is housed from a homeless hub in the Tallaght area.

SDCC were unable to provide an average timeframe as it is dependent on factors including household composition, assessed housing need, areas of preference and the availability of suitable accommodation.

The Council also stated that households may be directed to emergency accommodation provided through the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive outside of the SDCC’s administrative area, “until a suitable vacancy becomes available” in an SDCC-supported hub or accommodation facility.

“We continue to support households to move from emergency accommodation into suitable long-term housing as quickly as possible,” SDCC stated.  Last year, 206 homeless households were allocated secure and permanent social housing tenancies, with a further 135 such allocations completed as of 31 August 2026.

Families from Tallaght who are on our housing list and are residing in temporary emergency accommodation provided by the DRHE are prioritised for placement in family hub accommodation, with a new family hub having recently opened in the Tallaght area.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme