The former Corrib Haven B&B on Upper Newcastle Road has been bought by the Galway City Council and will be converted into a family hub accommodation for 12 homeless families.
The council recently acquired the property and once it is fully converted, the 12 families, who are currently living in emergency hotel and B&B accommodation, will be moved into the premises. The council then intends to work with the families to secure appropriate Housing Assistance Payment accommodation.
In an email to city councillors, Patricia Philbin, City Hall's director of services for housing, said the acquisition of the former B&B is "part of a number of measures currently being planned to address the number of households in emergency accommodation", and that it would "greatly enhance the provision of homeless supports to families" and "reduce reliance on the use of hotels and B&Bs".
The development has been welcomed by the Mayor of Galway, Labour city councillor Niall McNelis. "It is very important, and needs to be the number one priority at all times, to get families out of emergency accommodation," he said. "Families cannot be expected, mentally, to be able to exist in emergency accommodation."
