Spending by a local homeless charity has increased by 67% over five years, as it grapples with soaring demand for services due to the continuing housing crisis.

Galway Simon Community called for more Government investment in new social housing as it confirmed it spent a record €8.7m last year on homeless prevention – up 15% compared with 2022, and €3.4m more than it spent on homelessness in 2019.

“This increase was primarily due to increased wages costs arising from new and expanding service developments and increased operational costs due to inflation and cost of living,” according to its 2023 Annual Impact Report launched this week.

Total income at the charity was also up, from €5.3m in 2019, to just over €9m last year. Fundraising and charity shop income, excluding legacies and bequests, increased by 6% to €1,772,391.

The staff team at Galway Simon averaged 171 employees, down from 179 in 2022, and employment costs amounted to €6.4m last year, which included salaries, social welfare, and pension costs.

The annual report, launched by Dr Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Clinical Lead for Inclusion Health Services at St James’s Hospital, outlined how Galway Simon supported 1,490 people in 2023 in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon.

Galway Simon Community’s Head of Client Services, Karen Feeney, said the charity focused on homeless prevention in 2023 – it supported 1,490 people in 980 households, including 1,075 adults and 415 children.

Caption: Karen Feeney (Head of Client Services, Galway Simon), Mayor of Galway, Cllr Peter Keane, Karen Golden (CEO, Galway Simon) Dr Clíona Ní Cheallaigh (Clinical Lead, Inclusion Health Service at St James’s Hospital). PHOTO: Boyd Challenger

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