Official homeless stats in West represent the tip of the iceberg
The latest figures on homelessness in the West revealed that 640 people were living in emergency accommodation across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. And while this represents an increase on the December figure, Galway’s leading homelessness charity claimed that the headline number tells only a fraction of the story.
Galway Simon Community said that the real level of homelessness in the West is far higher – with hundreds of people in the West, experiencing housing insecurity every day, are not included in the official count.
The majority of the individuals and families supported by Galway Simon do not appear in the Government’s homelessness statistics.
They are living in hidden, precarious, and unsafe situations - rough sleeping, couch surfing, sharing overcrowded accommodation, staying with strangers, have received a “Notice to Quit” in their current rental accommodation or are living in conditions that no family should have to endure.
These are people who are homeless in every meaningful sense of the word, yet they are not included in official government homelessness figures and remain invisible in the data that shapes public understanding and policy decisions.
The charity, for example, is supporting Teresa and John, parents to two year old Aisling who are living in what Simon calls hidden homelessness; their real names are not used to protect their identities.
After five years in their rented home, they received an eviction notice when their landlord decided to sell the property.
Despite both working in relatively well paid jobs, the couple could not find any rental home they could afford in their community.
With nowhere else to go, they moved in with John’s parents; back into the three bed semi detached house he grew up in and left more than a decade ago.
Now, three generations are sharing a home that was never meant to accommodate them all.
Privacy is gone. Space is limited. Stress is constant.
And yet, like so many others in overcrowded or unsuitable living situations; Teresa, John and Aisling do not appear in the Government’s official homelessness figures.
Their story is a stark reminder that homelessness is not always visible. It is often happening behind closed doors, in childhood bedrooms, on sofas, and in overcrowded family homes where people are doing everything they can to avoid slipping further into crisis.
Last year, Galway Simon Community supported 1,151 households, a total of 1,732 people. This comprised 1,277 adults and 455 children.
Their Homelessness Prevention Services supported 638 households who were at risk of homelessness to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.
These services work to keep people in their own homes or when this is not possible, help to resettle them to a new home.
Over 90% of people who engaged with Simon’s Prevention Services in 2025, did not access Emergency Accommodation.
A total of432 households were supported through Simon’s Housing with Supports Services. At any one time over 200 people are provided with a home through their Housing Services.
Galway Simon CEO Carol Baumann said that, while the official figures were important, but they were only one piece of the puzzle.
“Every day we support people who are homeless but not counted in government figures; people who are working, parenting, studying, and trying to survive in deeply precarious situations. If we want to solve homelessness, we must first acknowledge the true scale of the crisis we are facing,” she said.
Galway Simon Community is urging policymakers, local authorities, and the public to recognise that homelessness is not defined solely by those who enter emergency accommodation.
It is, said the charity, defined by the lived experience of people who have lost the security, dignity, and stability of a home.