A dramatic increase in the number of people sleeping rough in Galway city has prompted the local Simon Community to call for more local authority and social housing. Galway Corporation figures show an increase in the number of homeless from 54 in 1996 to 142 this year but Galway Simon believes the real figures are far higher. They estimate almost 1,000 people were homeless in the city at some stage last year.
The number of households on the waiting list in Galway rose from 381 in 1996 to 741 in 1999.
