Cllr Angela Donnelly (SF) raised her concerns about the lack of services and supports for families soon to thread homeless waters in Dublin 15.
At last Thursday’s local area meeting, Cllr Donnelly submitted a question asking how many people had been issued notices to quit in D 15, families who were overholding, that is remaining in their accommodation beyond the deadline for vacating the property.
The answer she told the Gazette is 88. “On June 2, it was 50 and on September 1, it was 70 families. That’s an increase of nearly 80% in just four months!
“We’ve all heard the absolute devastation from people who have been given a notice to quit and have no idea where they are going to go after they vacate the current premises.”
At Thursday’s meeting, Cllr Donnelly submitted a motion asking that the council consider using modular homes for the homeless in D 15 as numbers continue to rise alarmingly.
She said “The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has directed Fingal County Council (FCC) is to prepare a summary of the Social Housing Assessments carried out in its administrative area.However,HAP and RAS tenants will not be included in this assessment.
“If the purpose of this is to provide FCC with a comprehensive and up to date assessment of the housing needs of our applicants, why are HAP cases omitted?” she asked in frustration.
“Many serious, urgent cases I receive relate to HAP tenants who’ve been given a notice to quit. I had a mother of three young children asking me if they would be put out on the streets?
“We need to be able to use the same methodology that the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland are using to build modular homes.”
She continued: “We need to look at sites on which we can put temporary modular housing in the short term – sites that may not be zoned RS but that can be used as an emergency interim measure.
“Again, can we not demand that the Minister uses the same emergency legislation that is being used by Roderic O’Gorman’s department to allow us to change zonings on an emergency basis for a period of three years?
“Surely, we still own sites like this that are close to schools, roads and public transport in places that are zoned for HT High Technology or GE, General Employment? This is beyond an emergency and these 88 families don’t have months, some have only days or weeks before they are forced into homelessness, away from their families, friends, neighbours, schools and jobs?”
She noted many of these families will be sent into the city centre “into accommodation that is far from suitable for families with young children.”
The council responded: “All construction methods are considered by the council when delivering both social and affordable housing in the county.
“FCC is exploring the potential of volumetric housing on a site-by-site basis, in response to planning considerations and site context, including the suitability of house type designs to produce standardized components of structure which can be manufactured off site and assembled quickly on site.”
Cllr Donnelly asked that this issue remain as a permanent item on the local area meeting agenda.
- Dublin Port security provider is Outstanding Company again
- Dublin named tenth friendliest city to visit in Europe
- Two more steps towards D15 ‘masterplan’ completed
- Exhibitors and new speakers announced dlr Age Well Expo 2023
- 2,000 recycled drink cans used to make ocean-themed sculpture to mark World Environment Day
