Retirement Crisis: Seniors Facing Homelessness in Galway

A growing number of older adults in Galway are experiencing the harsh reality of homelessness. This emerging crisis highlights the strain of rising rents and insufficient retirement incomes, pushing vulnerable individuals into emergency accommodation.

Alarm Bells in Galway

Housing charities and advocacy groups are expressing deep concern. They report an increase in people in their sixties seeking emergency housing, particularly in Galway. The Residential Tenancies Board has noted eight consecutive quarters of high rental inflation in the city.

Carmel, aged 66, moved to Galway to be near family but struggles to find affordable housing. Despite qualifying for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), she faces rejection from landlords. She previously worked as a live-in carer but can no longer do the physical labor due to injury.

Her weekly pension of “€300 a week” and Galway apartment rents around “€2,000 euro a month” make her situation “impossible.” She told RTÉ’s Drivetime, “I never thought I’d be homeless.”

Eviction and Uncertainty

Mary Jane, 65, received an eviction notice from her Co. Galway flat after renting for seven years. A former chef, she had to give up her job due to back problems, facing difficulties in securing HAP. She struggled with not knowing “where she would be.”

“It was just horrible, you just don’t expect it,”

—Mary Jane

The Department of Housing reports that in Ireland, 15,580 people live in emergency accommodation. Notably, 244 of them are over 65, which makes up 2% of the total.

Community Response

Karen Golden, Galway Simon Community’s CEO, highlights that homelessness in retirement is “hugely distressing.” She explains that people “reach pension age and their income decreases fairly substantially, they’re no longer able to afford the rising rents.”

Galway Simon Community developed ten apartments for older people and those with mobility issues. According to the community, the apartments were filled within a week of their launch. Mary Jane, one of the fortunate ones, secured a “forever home” there.

A 2024 report by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) states that homelessness among older people across Europe is rising, driven by similar factors such as housing costs and inadequate pensions (FEANTSA).

These developments offer a glimpse of hope. Additional initiatives, like the new Galway apartments, are vital for providing secure and accessible housing for seniors. Such actions can offer stability and help safeguard the well-being of those at risk.