A new service has launched to help people who may be at risk of homelessness in Galway, May and Roscommon.

Housing charity Threshold introduced the Tenancy Protection Service targeted at people living in the private rented sector who are facing problems such as unaffordable rent increases, notice of termination or a threat of illegal eviction.

Diarmaid O'Sullivan, Services Manager for Threshold in Galway, said: "The shortage of affordable accommodation in the private rented sector and growing demand for such accommodation has been driving rent prices up in recent years. Inevitably, this means the most vulnerable, low-income tenants are being squeezed out of the market.

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"There has been much attention paid to the growth in homelessness in Dublin recently, but this is an issue that affects other parts of the country too. We have noticed an increasing number of vulnerable families and individuals in Galway contacting Threshold because they risk losing their homes.

"Threshold's housing advice service in Galway responded to queries from over 2,300 households in difficulty in 2015. One of the main issues facing people in Galway is a rent increase that makes the rent unaffordable, especially for low-income tenants who rely on Rent Supplement payments. The rolling out of the Tenancy Protection Service in this region comes as a direct response to this situation."

(CD/LM)