There have been 78 households in Galway City helped into HAP accommodation in Galway City this year, who were either facing eviction, or already homeless.
These figures were provided at a recent meeting of the city council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Housing.
At the same meeting, the committee heard that €4.5 million million has been allocated to the city council by the exchequer this year for homelessness services administered from city hall.
Former councillor Mark Lohan, who sits on the Committee as a representative of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said that a further 61 families have sought the council’s assistance after being issued with eviction notices.
This is on top of the 27 city households currently in homeless hubs, and the 53 families in private emergency accommodation.
Mr Lohan praised the work of the council housing department’s HAP Homeless Placefinder Programme, but said that it is ultimately a “stop-gap” solution that relies on the private market for solutions.
“While Housing for All is the government plan to address and solve the housing crisis it is fast going down the same cul-de-sac as the other failed government plan Rebuilding Ireland.”
He said that at the SPC meeting, members heard that 1,235 social housing units will be built in Galway City by 2026 under the Housing for All plan.
“We currently have over 4,000 families on the city housing list. Even if the plan does work, despite the concern from many that it will not, that will only address 25% of the need as it currently stands. The plan is not fixing the crisis in public housing.”
“The housing crisis affects the poor, the low paid and the fast disappearing so called middle class. The latest plan from government does not set out a pathway to security of tenure or affordable ownership for the many who need it.”Â
