44 new housing units for social tenants

A total of 44 new housing units will be made available for social tenants in Rossan Court in Blanchardstown, as part of the Government’s updated capital programme for housing for 2016.
The details were contained in Minister Alan Kelly’s social housing progress report for 2015 and capital plan for 2016.
The €13m investment was confirmed by Tanaiste Joan Burton, who said she looked forward to seeing the full 44 units occupied shortly by families who have a housing need.
“I was delighted to open the first 16 units at Rossan Court back in November, and I am happy that Department of Environment funding for this project is secure, so the site can be completed and the houses made available to families.
“I understand the full 44 units are on track to be completed and occupied by March.”
The Tanaiste also welcomed news in the housing progress report that a total of 2,700 formerly boarded up local authority houses have been restored to use in 2015, of which 1,050 in the Dublin City Council area.
“I’m delighted to see the scourge of void and boarded up houses reduced, and units being made available to house families.
“These boarded up houses would often attract anti-social behaviour, so it’s good news too for the residents living beside them,” she said.
The development at Rossan Court consists of 31 three-bed and 13 four-bed high-quality houses which embrace the latest energy efficient technologies. The homes are well located just off the N3, close to a full range of facilities and services.
Also welcoming the news, Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF) said: “I think it’s absolutely fantastic for the area. I’m sure we all know that social housing is desperately needed to alleviate the housing crisis so it’s good news all round.”
At the end of 2015, Fingal revealed that 117 families were assessed as homeless, with the majority of these residing in emergency accommodation.
The council also recently announced that 20 modular homes will be built at Wellview Green, Mulhuddart, in the coming months, and up to 100 of these built in Fingal alone.
Cllr Donnelly added that he supports the modular homes planned for Wellview, but said he is concerned about the particular site.
He said: “They’re proposed to go through a cul-de-sac, which residents are deeply unhappy about so we’re now looking to amend the planning application to ensure that they will be developed on a new location nearby.”