As it celebrates International Women’s Day 2025, Galway Simon Community is drawing attention to the increasing number of women experiencing homelessness in our community.
The latest homeless figures released by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government report that there were 191 women accessing Emergency Accommodation in the West at the end of January, an increase of 6% in the past year.
Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon Community, said this week that 42% of adults who are accessing Emergency Accommodation in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon are women.
“Homelessness can be particularly traumatic for women, and for mothers. There are a myriad of reasons as to why women find themselves without a home. Some have a traumatic personal history with experience of domestic or sexual abuse. There may be addiction or mental health challenges. Separation from children, a source of deep distress, may be part of their story,” she said.
“Young women leaving the care system at the age of 18 may struggle to afford asking rents and find themselves homeless. As the housing crisis continues to deepen, we are seeing more families – some with two parents working – struggling to secure alternative housing when they receive a notice to quit.
‘Women facing homelessness feel very vulnerable. In some cases, the pressure they are under can compound the practical challenges of finding somewhere to call home,”added Karen Golden.
She went on to say that Galway Simon Community has been providing dedicated supports for women in homelessness for over twenty years. We have specialist services for exceptionally vulnerable and marginalised women where the focus is on having a safe home, supporting health and wellbeing recovery, and reconnecting with society using a trauma informed approach.
“We are here for as long as we are needed. In response to the growth in the number of women with families at risk of homelessness and contacting us for support, we set up a dedicated Women & Families Service in 2019 with a focus on prevention. The team work with women to prevent them from experiencing the trauma of homelessness, to help them to access secure affordable housing and to continue to live as part of their local community.”
Carmel, a client of Galway Simon’s Women’s and Family Service was without a home, following the death of her husband.
After being referred to Galway Simon she was placed in a shared women’s home where she lived for several years. Over time, Galway Simon supported Carmel to move into her own apartment.
“Only for Galway Simon I don’t think I would be around today…. The home I have now is no one else’s, it’s mine, which going back seven years ago I didn’t have that, I didn’t have a door to close, I didn’t have a bed to sleep in, I was sleeping from couch to couch and now I have a lovely apartment.”
Carmel’s advice to women who find themselves in a similar situation is “Get in contact with Simon…..You have to reach out to get help, it is there and they will help, they’re very good people.”
Karen Golden agrees with Carmel’s advice.
“We are very conscious that the ongoing housing crisis and the extensive recent media coverage around it may be adding to the anxiety felt by people who are worried about becoming homeless. We would encourage people who are concerned about their situation to seek support early by contacting us or one of the other agencies and we will work with them in trying to find a solution.
“While it may take us a bit longer than normal to respond to people who contact us (due to the demand on our Services currently ), we want to assure people that Galway Simon Community is committed to preventing homelessness where possible, and we believe that solutions are key to resolving this crisis. 93% of those who engaged with our Prevention Services over the past two years avoided having to access Emergency Accommodation.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulty please do get in touch with Galway Simon Community or one of the other agencies. For more details see www.galwaysimon.ie or contact them on 091 381828.
