Complex where 18 apartments in Townsend Street, Dublin 2 are to be delivered. Source: @PMVTrust

AN APARTMENT COMPLEX that has been vacant for several years is to be redeveloped by the Peter McVerry Trust.

The charity has secured planning permission for 18 apartments which will provide permanent housing for homeless people in Dublin city centre.

The refurbishment project at 181-187 Townsend Street, near College Green, will be the largest capital housing project under taken by the charity to date.

The existing building, owned by Dublin City Council, has been derelict for a number of years and is need of major upgrade and renovation works.

The organisation said the redevelopment will be the first phase in a pipeline of housing projects Peter McVerry Trust will deliver in Dublin in the next two years.

Transition housing 

“It’s a real good news story for us. At the end of this project, there will be 18 new keys to a home and 18 people leaving homelessness behind. This is the type of project that we want to do much more of, because more social housing is the only way we can sustainably reduce the number of people in homeless services,” said Pat Doyle, CEO of the charity.

Each new resident will receive dedicated supports from Peter McVerry Trust housing staff to help transition from street or hostel living to their new homes and to re-engage with education, training and employment.

“Our plan for the building is to modernise it, increase the size of the apartments within it and carry out substantial works around stairwell arrangements and lift access, ” said Doyle, who added that the charity aims to create high quality homes for single people.

Doyle said the units will provide badly needed housing for single people in homeless services. “These units will provide much needed housing options and allow 18 single person households to exit homelessness for good,” he said.

Peter McVerry Trust said it is now preparing to issue a public tender to appoint a project contractor after which it can commence works on the scheme. The charity said it hopes to begin work on site as early as possible in the New Year with the scheme finished and fully tenanted in 2019.

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