The high cost of private rented accommodation in Galway city is forcing the less well off into financial difficulties and homelessness, according to assistant director of Cope in Galway, Mr Martin O'Connor. Michelle McDonagh in Galway, reports.
Tenants living in private rented accommodation in Galway city centre are paying substantially higher rents than those in Cork and Limerick, with the cost of renting in Galway coming second only to Dublin.
The average weekly cost of renting a furnished housing unit in Galway city is €185.92, almost 13 per cent higher than Cork city where the average weekly rent is €164.88 and 41 per cent higher than Limerick where the weekly average is €131.67.
The latest statistics from the 2002 census reveal that the average weekly rent in Dublin city at the time of the census was €212.48.
The average weekly rent for an unfurnished apartment in Galway city, according to the census figures is €151.58 compared to €103.03 in Cork (lower than Galway by over 47 per cent) and €88.69 in Limerick (lower by over 70 per cent).
In Dublin city centre, the average weekly rent for an unfurnished apartment is actually lower than Galway at €142.24.
Mr O'Connor said the high cost of renting in Galway, coupled with the tightening up of the rental allowance scheme, was driving some people into financial difficulties and homelessness. He said it was nearly impossible to find adequate accommodation within the rental allowances in Galway.
"People are still paying over and above the rental cap, and are topping up the difference from their social welfare payments. This leads to increasing financial hardship, and many people end up running up arrears and losing their accommodation as a result," he said.
Mr Colm O'Donnellan, of O'Donnellan and Joyce Auctioneers, said he believed the high cost of rental accommodation in Galway city was due to the huge young population that was constantly looking for city centre properties.
He pointed out that although rents became more reasonable and had, in fact decreased further out from the city centre in areas like Doughiska and Knocknacarra, city properties were still difficult to obtain and more expensive as a result.
