A new report by Focus Ireland on the key drivers and dynamics of family homelessness in Dublin shows that, for a majority of families, the root cause of their homelessness was having to leave private rented accommodation.

The most commonly cited reason was landlords withdrawing their property from the market.

The charity said its data shows a majority of families who are experiencing homelessness report notably stable housing histories with lengthy and successful tenancies in the rental sector.

However, when trying to look for alternative accommodation after receiving a notice of termination from their landlord, families are at high risk of housing precariousness for sometimes lengthy periods.

The report says lone parents, migrants (parents originally born outside of Ireland) and members of the Travelling community face a disproportionate risk of family homelessness.

The charity adds that, while a majority of families are actively attempting to exit homelessness, the difficulties in sourcing affordable and stable private rented accommodation can be profound.

The report details the findings from surveys with 237 families residing in emergency accommodation in Dublin.

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Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, the Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland said all the evidence shows that the homelessness crisis is taking place in the private rented sector.

Mike Allen said that the vast majority of the families surveyed had been living in the private rental sector without any problem until the crisis came along.

He reiterated that the vast majority of homelessness is caused by landlords leaving the market, and said families searching for HAP properties face extensive searches.

Three-quarters of the families surveyed were looking for such properties, and two-thirds of them went to more than 20 viewings.

This, he said, dispels the notion that families are refusing properties.

"We found that three-quarters of the families were looking for HAP properties. They were out there looking regularly. Two-thirds of the families that were looking for HAP said they looked at more than twenty properties.

"So they went to look at the property but they weren't accepted. So people talk about families not taking up HAP, but that's not the picture at all."