City Council to open 33 winter ‘emergency’ beds

A total of 33 emergency beds for rough sleepers will be provided in the city from today as part of the City Council’s Cold Weather Response (CWR) programme.

The service will run through until April of next year.

Acting Director of Services in Housing, Dermot Mahon, said the Council is confident that the provision of 33 beds in the CWR programme would be sufficient to meet demand over the Winter period.

He said the Council was looking at one other site with a view to providing accommodation for females – 33 beds this Winter, compared to a figure of 30 provided last year, said Mr. Mahon.

Mr Mahon said that the programme was designed to provide an overnight space for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough on the streets.

“When there are orange or red weather alerts we will be trying to get these people in for the night,” he said.

In a report to councillors, City Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath, said that CWR accommodation, similar to 2017/18, was being progressed for this coming Winter period in the Westside of the city.

“The Cold Weather Response Programme will be managed similar to last Winter between two service providers – arrangements for the service are currently being put in place,” said Mr McGrath.

The Chief Executive in his report also said that the HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) Homeless Placefinder Service – established in Galway since the middle of this year – had been involved in the setting up of 44 tenancies since last June.

Of that 44, 27 tenancies were for families with the other 17 allocated to couples and single people. “The Council is currently exceeding its target and the service is operating very effectively,” said Mr McGrath.

The Homeless HAP Placefinder Service is a targeted support for homeless households who are finding it difficult to secure HAP tenancies.