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Families who face homelessness or who are in emergency homeless accommodation protest at Fingal County Council offices in Blanchardstown this afternoon. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
Social Rental Agency
Hotels and empty State buildings could help solve the homelessness crisis
Jan O’Sullivan announced measures today to tackle the growing problem in Dublin.
THE GOVERNMENT is to establish a new rental service to help deal with the growing social housing and homelessness crisis.
As part of measures agreed at Cabinet and announced by junior minister Jan O’Sullivan this afternoon, moves will be taken to coordinate the efforts of both government bodies and voluntary organisations.
The two-and-a-half-year plan will work to ensure all individuals and families can easily secure suitable accommodation.
It aims to deliver 2,700 units specifically for homeless people by the end of 2016.
The minister with responsibility claimed that the problem “in the short term” will be solved with “significant supply from vacant units, with construction, acquisition and NAMA units also coming on stream and providing homes for people who are currently homeless”.
Currently, there are 127 people sleeping rough in Dublin and 142 families in hotel accommodation.
O’Sullivan also revealed that €35 million will be put aside to renovate local authority housing, which should free up 1,750 units over the coming months.
Another €25 million in capital funding will be released, targeted at projects for those who are homeless.
“This funding will comprise a combination of construction and acquisition projects that will provide appropriate units quickly,” explained O’Sullivan, who said the plans were “ambitious but realistic”.
Clúid Housing Association has welcomed the government’s response with its head of policy Simon Brooke noting that “homelessness is a solvable problem”.
“Levels of homelessness in Ireland are not large compared with other countries. The Homelessness Implementation Plan is ambitious, but it is achievable if everyone is really prepared to work together.”
Brooke said that first priority must be given to acquiring properties that can be quickly converted for use by families who would otherwise be staying in hotels and individuals who would be forced to stay in hostels.
He suggested that empty hotels and State buildings could be viable options for conversion.
Commenting on NAMA’s potential role, Brooke added: “Although many ghost estates are not suitable for social housing, either because of their location or the quality of their construction, there are still empty dwellings across the country that can be brought into use for social housing. Clúid is currently in negotiation for the purchase of over 300 such dwellings across the country through NAMA.”
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