Galway is being held back by a dearth of homes, the Chief Executive of the City Council has warned.
Brendan McGrath said there is a shortage of 3,500 houses, and the shortage continues to increase by about 340 annually.
The scarcity is of both social houses and private houses, he said, and it is hindering the city’s growth.
“As I talk to you today, Galway city needs 3,500 units of accommodation. That’s not just social housing, that is housing across the board. That is homes for people to live in, that is student beds, that is social houses, everything.
“In 2013, a national body called the Housing Agency, did a review, and their estimate was back then Galway City was short 2,300 homes. The population of the city is growing generically by about 1,000 every year. And the last census has borne that out.
“Average household size is about three, and that equates to 330 or 340 houses over year, so I’m quite confident in saying that that’s Galway’s housing shortage.
“In my opinion, that 3,500 shortage of homes in Galway is a significant barrier to Galway’s development. At the moment there is very little construction activity in Galway.
“Within the next 12 months, it’s hard to see that there would be much more than the delivery of about 200 or 250 completed houses. So we’re only barely scratching the surface vis-à-vis that 3,500 figure,” he said.
Mr McGrath said the council has got the go-ahead to proceed with two social housing developments, which should proceed next year to help to fill some of that shortage. They will provide almost 150 additional social houses.
“We got departmental approval to go ahead with 69. We had an initial scheme of 14, that went to tender, and we’re ready to start on those 14 shortly. We got approval for an additional 55, but they want us to up the density, to squeeze in another five, so the 55 is brought up to 60, plus the 14.
“Separately we’ve been approved for another social housing phase, as part of the PPP (public private partnership) scheme, which will deliver another 72 social houses. That’s another separate approval that has come through recently, that’s at the site near the new school in Knocknacarra.”