Caitriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners says 2022 is starting out as a "very scary year for people who are at risk of becoming homeless".
She spoke to RedFM News as figures published by the Department of Housing show 443 people were officially registered as homeless in the city and county in November.
9,099 people were recorded homeless nationally, up 269 on October.
2,548 children are without a home, while Dublin accounts for 70 per cent of the homeless population.
Speaking to RedFM News, Caitriona Twomey says the rising cost of living is putting more people at risk:
"The cost of living has increased so much that people just are finding it very tough now. Everything has gone up from fuel to electricity, to heating, gas heating. Everything has just risen dramatically so that's why there's a big fear out there. And people are worried, you know, how long they can sustain themselves, how long they can survive. People shouldn't have this worry. We shouldn't have growing numbers of people coming to our services. This year is starting to be very scary year for a lot of people who are afraid of becoming homeless so there's a huge fear out there."
