Upgrade funding not enough to tackle Galway housing crisis

More than 74 houses lie empty while 3,619 on housing waiting list in city

With more than 74 empty houses and 3,619 households on the housing waiting list, the recent allocation of €415,000 for the city, although welcome, is a drop in the ocean with more needed to tackle the lack of housing which is at crisis point.

The Minister for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan, recently announced funding of almost €860,000 to Galway city and county councils for the upgrade of social housing. The City Council is to receive €415,000 of this funding, which will be used to upgrade 21 units with an average cost per unit of almost €20,000. The remaining funding of €444,000 will be used by Galway County Council to upgrade 30 units, with the average cost per unit of almost €15,000. The funding is part of a €15 million investment in vacant local authority housing across the country with the view to reducing the long waiting lists.

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