The Minister for Housing Simon Coveney will today officially open a new centre for the homeless on Sean McDermott Street in Dublin’s north inner city.

The building will home people who have been rough sleepers and those who have presented to the homeless services.

It has been refurbished from 36 single-bed accommodation units into 18 self-contained one bedroom apartments for single people and couples requiring support to live independently.

Yesterday, figures from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive showed that 1,054 families are currently homeless around the country.

913 of those families, including 1,847 children, are in homeless accommodation in Dublin.