Westmeath sees 17% decrease in homelessness in August

Westmeath has recorded a sharp fall in homelessness, with figures dropping by 17% in just four weeks.

The Department of Housing’s August report shows the number of adults in emergency accommodation fell from 81 in July to 67 last month.

Across the wider Midlands region, the number of adults and children accessing emergency accommodation was down 6.5% compared with July.

The official figures are compiled by local authorities through the Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS), which has been in use nationwide since 2013.