1,100 Galway households experienced homelessness this year

Several Galway families will be spending Christmas in refuges and emergency homeless accommodation this year.
Over 1,100 households across the city and county have worked with COPE Galway and the Galway Simon Community during 2016.
COPE Galway has this afternoon released its End of Year Statement.
It reveals that the charity worked with over 600 households experiencing homelessness so far this year, including 201 families.
COPE Galway also provided refuge from domestic violence to 76 women and 84 children this year.
The homelessness organisation has operated this year on a budget of €4.4 million – 73% of which comes from the state, 11% from service charges and 15% from fundraising.
COPE Galway’s assistant CEO Martin O’Connor says 2016 has been a difficult year, and Galway’s homelessness situation will only improve if more social housing is delivered.
Meanwhile, the Galway Simon Community says that to the end of November, it worked with over 580 households, and housed 107 people.
The Community Support division worked with 216 households so far this year – more than double the figure for 2015.