Use of hotels and B&Bs for emergency accommodation being phased out in Mayo

MAYO County Council is working to phase out the use of hotels and B&Bs as emergency accommodation when people present as homeless.

The plan is to try and end homelessness by 2030, members of the authority's housing committee were told.

The ball is in the court of the government in delivering on that, pointed out Councillor Harry Barrett.

It's a great aspiration, he said, but a lot depends on government giving the council the resources to get units built and delivered.

Homeless figures in Mayo have almost doubled in the last five years from 100 presentations in 2020.

The 'horrendous' affect on children being brought up in hotels and its impact on their development was again highlighted by Councillor Barrett.

Director of services Tom Gilligan told the meeting they were phasing out using hotels and B&Bs to meet emergency accommodation needs, with problems competing with the tourism market and non-availability at weekends, which is inefficient and costly.

There is an emergency accommodation hub in Charlestown which can accommodate up to 100 people and that is being used more and more.

Facilities there provide for a better quality of life as people can cook their own food, children have study and play areas, and it allows for improved service delivery.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne asked for yearly targets to reduce homelessness, saying the five-year plan didn't offer much hope to someone who will still be homeless then.

People should also be accommodated in their own areas where possible, he added.

The committee noted the regional homelessness plan, which sets out priorities for western counties over the next three years.

A Mayo specific plan will also be implemented.