THREEFOLD INCREASE IN COUNCIL’S SPEND ON B&BS FOR HOMELESS
THE cost of providing emergency accommodation to those facing homelessness in the county has skyrocketed in the past year, new figures show. Wexford County Council is expected to spend three times as much on emergency B&B accommodation in 2016 as it did the previous year.
Figures released to Cllr Malcolm Byrne last week showed that to the end of November, Wexford County Council had spent €288,166 on B&B accommodation. ‘ The current estimate is that we will spend €320,000 for B&B in 2016,’ he said. ‘Expenditure on B&B in 2015 was €109,623.95.’
He said he has raised the issue of the homelessness challenge in Co Wexford for several years. ‘It is essential that tackling this issue continues to be prioritised,’ he contended. ‘We all have an obligation to ensure that we can put a more permanent roof over the heads of those without a home.’
‘Of particular concern is that we are on course to spend three times as much on B&Bs this year to deal with homelessness as we did in 2015,’ he added.
The figures also show that as of the end of November 2016, there were 492 homeless cases in Co Wexford, compared to 538 at the end of December 2015. ‘ This illustrates that we are still responding to high numbers of homeless cases this year,’ he said.
There were 409 presentations directly to Wexford County Council; 87 to Oznam House; 25 to the Women’s Refuge; and 109 people were accommodated in Wexford County Council Emergency B&B or supported accommodation. ‘In previous years, homeless cases were supported by emergency service providers, but as you can see, Wexford County Council is now the main homeless service intervention,’ said Malcolm.
‘ The overall average stay in B&B this year has been 39 days, up from 26 days in 2015, due to pressure on the private rented market, although not reaching Dublin levels,’ he added.
The figures also show that the longest stay in a B&B was 204 nights; the shortest stay was one night; 33 people stayed in a B&B for one week or less; and 32 people stayed between one and four weeks.