Council responds to media queries regarding Mayo rental crisis

Mayo County Council has responded to a number of questions submitted by The Connaught Telegraph regarding the rental crisis and how many families are facing the prospect of eviction.

A number of families who contacted this newspaper said they have already engaged with Mayo County Council and were advised that emergency accommodation in Crossmolina (Dolphin Hotel) is currently full, with some people in north Mayo being told that Charlestown is the next available option.

QUESTION 1: Could you please confirm whether this reflects the accommodation options currently being offered to people at risk of homelessness in Mayo?

RESPONSE: Accommodation is provided in a number of locations throughout the county. At the moment, Charlestown Lodge is the only property which is under an SLA for the provision of emergency accommodation. Remaining accommodation is being provided via private emergency accommodation based on their availability.

QUESTION 2: What else is on offer for such people and is there anything else that can be done?

RESPONSE: The first point of contact for all people that receive a notice of termination (NoT) should be to contact Threshold, who provide clinics in Mayo, in order to verify that the NoT is valid. Please see public counter Threshold notification document attached for your convenience, which is on display at the public counter of the offices of Mayo County Council. This can also be found on www.Mayo.ie/Housing/Homeless-Support.

All households can present for assessment for homeless services at their local Housing Office. Following assessment, a determination will be made in terms of qualification or otherwise and any supports that may be provided. Assessment is carried out in line with the definition of homeless contained in Section 2 of the 1988 Housing Act.

QUESTION 3: How many tenant-in-situ scheme applications have Mayo County Council engaged in since the scheme was announced?

RESPONSE: From the period 2023 – 2025 a total of 41 units have been acquired under the Social Housing Secondhand Acquisitions Programme -TIS programme. Broken down as follow: 2023 – 14; 2024 – 16; 2025 – 11.

QUESTION 4: In addition, has the council seen an increase in the number of people presenting as at risk of homelessness since the beginning of the year?

RESPONSE: A total of 21 household presentations to date in January 2026 by comparison to 5 household presentations in December and 12 household presentations in November 2025. However, if we are to compare the figure for Jan 2025, this came in at 19 households.