More than 80 families are homeless in the western region, including Galway, Mayo ,and Roscommon, with 37 of these being single parent families, according to the figures released by the Department of Housing.
A total of 83 families in the region are classed as homeless in the Department’s June Homeless figures, which also revealed that an additional 30 families were in emergency accommodation that month. The figures also revealed a 24 per cent year on year increase in the number of homeless people across the State, with 9,872 individuals currently homeless - 1,931 more than this time last year.
Sinn Féin city councillor Mairéad Farrell said the findings reveal that the homeless crisis is “deepening”. She also said it was “particularly heartbreaking” to see is that 207 children remain in emergency accommodation in the West - a “shocking increase” of 70 children on this time last year.
“Urgent measures must be taken by the Government to ease this crisis,” she said. “That means amending the Residential Tenancies Act to prevent buy to let landlords who benefited from tax breaks from issuing vacant possession notices to quit when selling a property. This was rejected by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael when introduced as an amendment last year. This Government cannot continue to wring its hands and host summits when there are practical measures that can be taken to alleviate the crisis.”
