More pensioners left with nowhere to go
Homelessness among pensioners in the West of Ireland has more than doubled in three years, sparking concerns among staff of a local charity.
Galway Simon said homelessness among over-65s was a growing problem, which was backed up by the latest Department of Local Government and Heritage stats.
In 2024, Galway Simon supported 72 older adult households through its prevention and housing services, a year-on-year increase of 36%.
The Government’s homeless figures reveal 422 homeless people were living in emergency accommodation in the West in August, with 230 of them in Galway City and County, 170 in Mayo and 22 in Roscommon.
There were 111 families in emergency accommodation in the West, including 212 children. That was 41 fewer than August last year.
The majority of the West’s adult homeless are Irish – 322 people – followed by European citizens (69) and non-European Economic Area citizens (39).
Pensioners now represent 6% of homeless in the West, but 25–44-year-olds make up 48%, by far the biggest cohort.
There were 24 pensioners homeless in the West in August of this year, compared with 10 in August 2023.
Titled ‘Retiring into homelessness: A quiet crisis for Ireland’s older people’ Galway Simon’s event highlighted that older people retiring into homelessness was one of the country’s “most urgent and under-recognised” challenges.
Carol Baumann, Galway Simon Chief Executive, said homeless among older adults was an escalating crisis.
Caption: Galway Simon Chief Executive Carol Baumann.
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