Rise in number of homeless families in emergency accommodation
A total of 30 homeless families in the west have been living in emergency accommodation for more than two years, new figures show
Eight more homeless families entered emergency accommodation in the western region during the second quarter of this year, bringing the total number to 129, new figures have revealed.
The number of single individuals residing in emergency accommodation across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon decreased by nearly nine percent during the same period, however, falling from 295 to 269.
Of the 129 families currently in emergency accommodation in the region, 30 have been in the system for more than two years. The number of single individuals in the system for more than two years stood at 58 at the end of June.
A further 49 single people had been in emergency accommodation for between six and 12 months, 45 had been accommodated for 12 to 18 months, and 29 had spent between 18 and 24 months in the system.
Among families in the region, 31 had spent between six and 12 months in emergency accommodation at the close of the second quarter, while 19 had remained for 12 to 18 months, and 13 had been accommodated for between 18 months and two years.
Exits from emergency accommodation to secure tenancies in the west saw a notable improvement between the two periods, rising from 31 individuals in the first quarter to 68 in the second.
In the first quarter, 31 people exited emergency accommodation across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, comprising 14 adults and 17 children across 23 single households and eight families. By the second quarter, the regional exit total had more than doubled to 68 individuals, consisting of 30 adults and 38 children.
Efforts to prevent people from losing their homes in the region showed mixed progress, with 53 individuals prevented from entering emergency accommodation through secure tenancies in the second quarter, down from 55 recorded during the first three months of the year.
The second-quarter preventions in the west included 39 adults and 14 children, compared to 22 adults and 33 children across 32 single households and 17 families between January and March.
The quarterly data also reveals a sharp acceleration in the roll-out of the Housing First scheme in the west, which targets entrenched rough sleepers and long-term homeless individuals with complex needs.
A total of 21 new Housing First tenancies were established in the region during the second quarter – more than a fivefold increase on the four created in the first quarter.
That brought the regional total under the 2022–2026 National Implementation Plan to 98 tenancies, with 80 individuals supported in active tenancies at the end of June.
Galway City Council acts as the regional lead authority for homeless services across the three western counties, overseeing funding delegation under Section 10 arrangements.
Nationally, 17,482 individuals were accessing emergency accommodation at the end of the second quarter, representing a slight drop of 0.2% on the first quarter, but an increase of 9.8% compared to the 15,915 recorded at the end of June 2025.