Almost €6 million was spent on homelessness services in Galway city and county in 2018.
New figures from the Homelessness Financial Report End of Year 2018 show that €5,727,241 was spent on homelessness prevention, emergency accommodation, long term supported accommodation, and administrative services in Galway.
The single largest expenditure by a huge margin was €2.2 million on private emergency accommodation by Galway city council, followed by €804,739 on B&B and Hotel accommodation by the county council.
According to the Department of Housing there were over 300 homeless adults in Galway alone in March.
While across the west of Ireland there were 348 homeless adults, including 85 families living in emergency accommodation with 213 children.
Expenditure for homelessness prevention last year included support for tenancy sustainment and resettlement services with Galway Simon, COPE Galway, and Threshold.
In total €1,119,137 was spent on prevention services in Galway last year.
Emergency accommodation other than private accommodation included Fairgreen Hostel, Osterly Lodge, and the Cold Weather Response in the city, and Cluain Mhuire and transitional units in the county.
The total bill for emergency accommodation in 2018 came to €3,989,988 in Galway.
All of the long term supported accommodation in the report was by the city council such as Men’s High and Women’s Transitional Housing with Galway Simon, Market Street Men’s Shelter run by St. Vincent de Paul and Teach Mhuire on St, Helen’s Street.
The €285,930 total bill for this also included non-specified long term support from COPE, Galway Simon, and Cluid Housing.
Only one item was included in the report’s bill under Day Services, €103,162 for Teach na Coiribe Day Centre run by COPE Galway.
And last €229,024 was spent on Housing Authority Homeless Service Provision including Administration, which includes West Region Services Management at the local authorities and HAP Place Finder Offficers.
