The ISPCC said that all accommodation for homeless families must meet "acceptable" standards.
It has emerged some of the houses and hotels being used have problems with vermin, mould and dirty mattresses.
An RTÉ programme last week documented the experiences of three families in emergency accommodation.
ISPCC chief executive, Grainia Long, said that the quality of properties and the length of time people stay in emergency accommodation must be standardised.
"Ireland is out of step with other countries in terms of what we consider acceptable and suitable, not just in the standard of accommodation but the length of time - and that's a really important issue," she said.
"We need to now get back to basics and be really clear about what is - and the word 'acceptable' has been used by a lot of people this week - what we as a society consider acceptable."