Number of Galway families made homeless doubles in a year

The most vulnerable in Galway City have been hit hard by the recession with the number of homeless families doubling in the space of a year.

 There has been an overall increase of 17% in the number of homeless people availing of emergency accommodation in the city, according to COPE Galway’s annual report,

 That increase was reflected across all household types but the most notable hike was in the number of families seeking emergency accommodation in 2012 – 24 families, up from 11 the previous year.

 The increase in the number of men was 12% (up to 226) and 15% in the number of women (up to 77).

 “This increase is not surprising, but is of great concern,” says Martin O’Connor, Assistant CEO of COPE Galway.  “The impact of cuts in social welfare and other public services year on year is taking its toll, and the most vulnerable in our society are being impacted.

 “Reductions in secondary welfare benefits including rent supplement, changes to eligibility criteria and delays in the processing of applications for a range of welfare benefits are just some of the factors which have contributed to an increasing number of marginalised people in our community experiencing financial hardship and so being at risk of or becoming homeless,” he explained.

 Mr O’Connor said the reduction in rent supplement levels introduced in January 2012 combined with a shortage of affordable good standard rental housing and increasing rent levels in Galway City further compounded matters for individuals and families already struggling to get by.

 “A further knock-on effect of this was that people were remaining in emergency accommodation for longer periods of time as they struggled to find rental accommodation within the reduced rent supplement cap levels.”

 COPE is a Galway based charity which provides services for people who are experiencing and are at risk of homelessness, for women and children experiencing domestic violence, as well as Senior Support Services.

 Some 10% of single people who presented as homeless to COPE Galway in 2012 were aged under 25 years.

 COPE Galway, in their annual report, highlight that the shortage of affordable good standard housing in Galway City was an ongoing challenge throughout 2012 for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Rent levels continued to increase during 2012 in the city and this in turn resulted in people remaining in emergency homeless accommodation for longer periods of time.

 2012 also saw a 20% increase in the number of women and children provided with support by COPE Galway Domestic Violence Services, up from 500 in 2011 to 600 in 2012. 

Services also responded to over 750 crisis calls from, or on behalf of, women experiencing domestic abuse. Due to lack of space the refuge in Woodquay was unable to accommodate 214 women with 319 children over the course of the year with all families being offered referral to other refuges elsewhere in the country.

 Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel