Local authority tight-lipped on ‘homeless hotels’

City Hall is refusing to say what local hotels and B&Bs it pays for emergency accommodation to house the homeless.

Galway City Council has confirmed it spends on average €16,000 a month, or €4,000 a week, on B&Bs and hotels to house people who present as homeless.

But the local authority is remaining tight-lipped about which hotels or B&Bs in Galway it is paying the money to in return for emergency accommodation.

The Council said if it was made public which hotels and B&Bs it pays to house the homeless then it may impact on its ability to provide emergency accommodation in future.

The Galway City Tribune had requested the information under the Freedom of Information act.

When the Council refused to divulge the data, the decision was appealed but the Council’s FOI appeals officer has upheld the original decision to refuse access, and cites “commercially sensitive information” among the reasons.

Dermot Mahon, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Services, who heard the appeal, said that “providing information such as this may negatively impact the accommodation providers from a financial/commercial point of view which in turn would negatively affect the ability of the local authority to source accommodation for people in need of housing.”

In his response rejecting the appeal, Mr Mahon added: “If it is known that Galway City Council provides details of the accommodation providers providing emergency accommodation services to Galway City Council, it may deter other accommodation providers from assisting Galway City Council with their accommodation needs in the future.

“Local authorities are already facing significant challenges in sourcing accommodation for vulnerable customers on the housing waiting list. Releasing information which may negatively impact the local authorities’ ability to source and temporarily house people in need of emergency accommodation would have a detrimental effect on the people who are in most need of our housing services.”

The City Council confirmed that some 724 people have been accommodated on a temporary emergency basis by the City Council, including in B&Bs and hotels. This figure is from January 1 to October 22 this year. It includes repeat admissions to services and includes, “all services funded by Galway City Council”.

The following is a detailed breakdown of the cost to the Council of providing temporary emergency accommodation to people presenting as homeless in the first 10 months of 2015.

January (€335); February (€1,110); March (€6,502); April (€8,341); May (€22,200); June (€18,650); July (€25,767); August (€27,244); September (€28,492); and October (€22,078).

Asked to explain how the City Council chooses the hotels and B&Bs, and whether it is put out to tender, a spokesperson said: “Emergency accommodation services are provided on behalf of Galway City Council by a number of voluntary bodies in the city under agreements and on an agency basis.

“The voluntary bodies source additional emergency housing beyond their own capacity to accommodate as needs present on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis. The sourcing of this additional emergency accommodation is undertaken by the voluntary bodies.”

The Galway City Tribune has the right to appeal the decision of the Council with the Information Commissioner.