Working families are making up the majority of people facing homelessness in parts of Tipperary, according to an independent councillor who said the shortage of emergency accommodation has reached a critical point.
Cllr Seamie Morris told the September meeting of Tipperary County Council that eight in 10 families he is currently supporting as they face homelessness are working families.
He described the situation as one of the worst periods he has experienced as a councillor and said securing emergency accommodation had become extremely difficult.
“80pc of the people I’m dealing with at the moment are working families that are becoming homeless,” Cllr Morris said.
He said families losing their homes through notices to quit were struggling to find emergency accommodation in Nenagh.
Families facing homelessness
Cllr Morris said the housing crisis was affecting families who were working but could not secure alternative accommodation when their existing housing ended.
He said some people were living in cars or tents, while others were staying with relatives or friends.
He also raised concerns about families being separated and the difficulties faced by households with children who have additional needs.
His comments were made during a wider discussion about housing delivery in Tipperary.
The councillor linked some of the difficulties in delivering new homes in Nenagh to limitations in the town’s wastewater infrastructure.
He said housing projects at William Street, Gortlandroe and Millersbrook had been delayed despite the council having acquired sites for development.
Wastewater capacity holding up housing
Cllr Morris said the long-awaited upgrade of Nenagh’s wastewater treatment plant had originally been expected to be completed in 2024 but had subsequently been pushed back to 2029.
He asked council officials whether connection agreements with Uisce Éireann had been received for the housing sites he identified.
The issue is significant because wastewater capacity can determine whether new developments can proceed to construction and ultimately connect to the public network.
Tipperary County Council has previously acknowledged the importance of wastewater capacity to housing development in Nenagh. Its 2026 budget documentation said improvements in wastewater capacity were expected to increase planning activity and developer interest in the town.
Council says more homes are coming
The council’s director of services for housing, Jonathan Cooney, told councillors that Tipperary County Council now has more than 1,000 additional homes compared with six years ago.
He said housing schemes were progressing and suggested there was a prospect of increased delivery.
Mr Cooney also said the council had schemes in the early stages and had obtained pre-connection approvals.
According to the council official, discussions with Uisce Éireann had given him the impression that construction of the necessary infrastructure could begin in the coming months, allowing housing developments to connect when the homes are completed.
Tipperary County Council is continuing to seek opportunities to increase its housing stock. In July, it invited expressions of interest for turnkey residential developments to provide social housing, including developments close to services and amenities.
The council is also continuing to advertise homes through its Choice Based Letting system. Its September 15 housing notice included properties available to approved housing applicants for the week to September 21.
The gap between working and having a home
The situation described at the council meeting highlights a growing difficulty in the housing crisis: having a job does not necessarily protect a household from homelessness.
Families can be working and still struggle to find another home when a tenancy ends, particularly where rents are high and the supply of suitable family accommodation is limited.
For those who lose their homes, the immediate problem can become finding somewhere safe to stay while waiting for longer-term housing.
Cllr Morris’s account also points to the wider consequences when emergency accommodation is unavailable, including families relying on cars, relatives or temporary arrangements.
The council says housing delivery is increasing and that infrastructure constraints in Nenagh are being addressed.
But for families already facing the loss of their homes, the difference between a housing scheme being planned and a completed home being available can be the difference between having somewhere to live and becoming homeless.
