Housing Minister approves €46 million for housing projects for homeless persons and people with special needs

€29m in funding will support new Homelessness Implementation Plan

Minister for Housing and Planning, Ms. Jan O’Sullivan, today (21 May 2014) announced a capital investment totalling over €46m for a range of housing projects which will provide a total of 416 units of accommodation for people with special housing needs including the elderly, persons with an intellectual or physical disability and homeless persons. The selection of projects now being advanced is based on the priority afforded by the local authority following a ‘Call for Proposals’ to approved housing bodies.

 I am pleased that Fingal is to receive €1.12 million for 6 units to cater for homeless and those with moderate intellectual disabilities.

Yesterday, the Government approved the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness. Minister O’Sullivan said, "The Government is fully committed to addressing the crisis of homelessness and I am pleased to announce a programme of works that will form part of the response to dealing with this growing problem. Approved housing bodies play a key role in the delivery of housing and related supports for homeless persons and other vulnerable groups such as older people and people with disabilities”

Of the €46 million being announced today some €19 million has been ring-fenced for the delivery of 187 units to be acquired or constructed in the local authority areas across the country to specifically accommodate persons and families who are homeless. Details of the 15 construction projects and 9 acquisitions are set out in Appendix 1 below

As a result of a special initiative, €10m is also being provided for the acquisition of 66 units by approved housing bodies to address the homeless problem specifically presenting in the Dublin City area. Minister O’Sullivan said ‘This initiative will have an immediate effect in Dublin City which has the greatest number of people currently experiencing homelessness. The funding of over €10 million is being made available under CAS to approved housing bodies which have identified specific properties that will be acquired in a short timeframe.”

The balance of the €46million, around €16.7 million will fund the delivery of 163 units to accommodate persons with a disability and older persons in various locations around the country. “These 163 new permanent housing units are intended, in the main, to provide accommodation for people with special needs including older people and people with a disability. Special needs housing must be lifetime adaptable to cater for tenants at all stages of the lifecycle and, in some instances, must be customised to meet particular needs” the Minister said. “Accordingly, 15 of the 34 projects being advanced are new build with 19 projects acquiring existing housing stock in cases where it is fit-for-purpose and more cost-effective than new build.”