Homeless charity Galway Simon Community has raised concerns as the latest figures released by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government reveal that the number of young adults (18 – 24 ) living in Emergency Accommodation is growing faster than any other category, against a backdrop of rising rents and a deepening housing crisis. There were 481 people living in Emergency Accommodation across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon in April, an increase of 19% on the previous year. The increase in the number of young adults living in Emergency Accommodation in the same period was 44%.
Galway Simon established a dedicated Youth Service in 2016, in collaboration with Galway City Council and Tusla, to support young adults at risk of and experiencing homelessness. The Service currently provides a home for 12 young people at any one time, many of whom are care leavers, whilst also supporting others in the wider community.
In addition to housing, the charity provides other supports to help clients develop life skills, enabling them to live independently and avoid falling into a cycle of homelessness.
One client of Galway Simon’s Youth Service said that he was near the point of collapse when he made an appointment with Galway Simon’s Youth Service.
“When Galway Simon rang me a few days later to tell me that they had a place for me, honestly, I could cry thinking about it.
“My whole life changed. It’s not just that I have a place to live - I’ve grown so much. I’m moving forward. I can see my future now,” he said.
Galway Simon Community supports the commitment by Government to develop a Youth Homelessness Strategy by Q3 of 2022. It stresses that in order for this strategy to be effective it is vital that it focuses on making both accommodation and targeted supports accessible to vulnerable young people, to prevent them from entering into a pattern of cyclical or entrenched homelessness.
Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon Community explained that this is a critical time in a young person’s life.
“If we can work with them and provide effective support at this stage, we can help them address issues they may have, engage in training or education, take up employment and secure accommodation.
“Ultimately, we can assist them to find stability in their lives and equip them with the life skills needed to live independently, rather than entering into entrenched homelessness.” he said.
