As many as 290,000 adults are experiencing hidden homelessness in Ireland today, according to new poll figures.

The Red C poll for 'Simon Communities Ireland' shows one in four of us knows someone affected by 'hidden homelessness' in the last 12 months.

People affected by hidden homelessness are not counted in the government's homeless figures released each month.

Record levels of homelessness

July saw the highest number of homeless people recorded in the country since 2019.

Figures from the Department of Housing show 10,568 people were in homelessness as of July, including 3,137 children.

The recent poll of a thousand adults carried out between July 22nd and 27th shows the problem is greater than we thought.

Due to the housing crisis, many have had to stay with friends, couch surf, or live in overcrowded digs - which makes it difficult to include them in national research.

The poll

Head of Policy for the Simon Community Wayne Stanley spoke to Newstalk about the legitimacy of the claims.

"We're not saying that every one of those people is going to end up crossing the threshold of a homeless service", he said.

"What we do know is that the vast majority of the people who have entered homeless services or presenting to the Simon Communities for support around the country have had that experience of hidden homelessness."

He said that the Simon Community "wanted to make sure people were really clear on what they were asking".

"We wanted to look at people who had a personal experience or who had family members who had a personal experience of having to stay with family and friends because they didn't have accommodation of their own.

"And where they would describe that experience as unintended or forced."

Main image shows A person wrapped in a sleeping bag in Dublin city centre in January 2021. Picture by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie