There has been a four-fold increase in the number of people sleeping rough in Cork over recent months, according to new figures released today.
A report by Cork Simon Community, in partnership with St Vincent de Paul, Focus Ireland and Threshold said that during the first eleven months of this year a total of 157 different people were recorded as sleeping rough on at least one night compared to 38 different people in all of 2011 - a four-fold increase.
The report said the number of people sleeping rough in Cork increased from an average of two people per night last March to an average of 10 people per night last October. The organisations have put forward new proposals for dealing with the upsurge in homelessness.
The plan, which is currently being rolled-out, will see Cork Simon, Focus Ireland and St Vincent de Paul, lease 21 private rented flats from landlords and make them available to homeless people.
Cork Simon Community CEO, Dermot Kavanagh, said: "We simply no longer have enough emergency beds in Cork for everyone that needs one."