More than 20 sleep rough each night in Galway City

More than 20 people are believed to sleep rough on the streets of Galway each night, according to local charity COPE Galway.

The charity has blamed the situation on the “severe shortage” of housing available at the moment.

A statement from the charity reads: “There has been a steady increase in the numbers of people rough sleeping in Galway over recent weeks and months and this is now becoming much more visible in the city.

“The exact number of rough sleepers in Galway City isn’t known but on October 7, our Fairgreen Hostel identified 14 individual men that were rough sleeping that night. There are others that we also know of who we strongly suspect are rough sleeping and some more who are not in contact with or known to our services.

“All said, there may be in excess of 20 people rough sleeping in Galway on any given night. This increase in rough sleeping is the inevitable consequence of what can only be described as a severe shortage of housing currently available in Galway.

“Those in emergency accommodation are remaining there for extended periods of time as they cannot secure move on accommodation and this in turn means that emergency spaces are not available when people present to us homeless and in need of a place to stay.

“There are varied and complex factors which leading to people becoming and remaining homeless including family breakdown, poor mental health and addiction issues. There are some who do not have residency status or a centre of interest in Galway and this in turn restricts what financial and accommodation supports they are eligible for.

“These have always been the factors which contributed to people becoming and remaining homeless but what has changed in Galway now is the volumes of people becoming homeless and the acute shortage of move on housing and accommodation options available,” the statement reads.

The charity has also appealed to landlords for a premises of 1,500 square feet or larger to put in place emergency beds during the Winter.

“With winter fast approaching we, in conjunction with Galway City Council, the HSE and other agencies, are working to put in place a Cold Weather Response. The purpose of this first and foremost is to have additional emergency night time beds available for people who would otherwise sleep rough for the period between late November 2016 and March 2017. We also aim to work with those who are rough sleeping over this period to identify longer term solutions to their homelessness.

“We are currently trying to identify and secure a suitable premises from which to operate this Cold Weather Response and are appealing to anyone who may have a suitable space of 1,500 sq feet or larger available to contact Martin O’Connor on 091 778750 to discuss renting this space to use for a six-month period for this purpose. This needs to be in Galway City so that people sleeping rough can access it.

“We are also anxious to hear from you or members of the public concerned about someone sleeping rough in your area. You can either contact our Day Centre services directly at 091 525259 or direct them to the Day Centre which is situated in Seamus Quirke Road and which is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4pm and from 8.30am to 2pm on Saturdays.”

COPE Galway provide emergency accommodation and supports for people experiencing homelessness in Galway. The Fairgreen Hostel accommodates 26 men, and the women’s hostel Osterley Lodge in Salthill accommodates up to 13 single women and women with children. Both of these services are full on a nightly basis and have been for some months now.

The Day Centre for homeless at Teach Corrib in Newcastle also operates eight emergency accommodation units for families and arranges placements in tourist accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs and hostels for single people and families who are homeless. The Day Centre also provides access to food, showers, clothing, bedding, and assistance with finding accommodation.