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Cllr Francis Timmons – Independent Voice

Tallaght Cross

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, June 08, 2015

QUESTION NO.32

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask for a update report on  the new 65 accommodation units at Tallaght Cross? Have all these been allocated ? How many Families are in hotels ? How many families are still seeking accommodation ? what other plans are in the pipeline ? when will additional accommodation become available ?

REPLY:

These units situated at Tallaght Cross will be managed by Tuath AHB.  Nominations, from which offers of temporary accommodation will be made to 65 homeless families currently residing in Hotel and B&B accommodation across the city, have been made to Tuath AHB.  Tuath AHB are currently interviewing and discussing the facilities with the nominated familes.

Nominations are firstly made in line with those homeless persons in accordance with criteria outlined in the Ministerial’s Directive issued on the 27th January 2015 and qualify for the HAP scheme which has been extended to the Dublin City region as a pilot specifically aimed at homeless households.

Further nominations will then be made from the 95 families on South Dublin Council list of homeless families and who are currently in Hotels and B&B accommodation throught the Region.  If needs be any other nominations will be from the further 30 families currently “imminently at risk” of homelessness in the County.

The accommodation at Tallaght Cross is aimed to lessen the burdens currently being experienceed by families, by locating them in Tallaght closer to schools and local communites.  They are fully serviced apartment units with cooking and laundry facilities. Focus Ireland Team of Keyworkers and Accommodation Finders will be working closely with families to seek suitable accommodation under the HAP Scheme.  Interviews of 40 families have been completed this week however, no offers will be made until conclusion of this process.

In the longer term, the Governments “Social Housing Strategy 2020 – Support, Supply and Reform” was published late November 2014. The Programme envisages both new-build housing and a flexible range of supports to the private rental sector and the social housing sector. Nationally the Programme aspires to the construction of 35,000 new houses to address social housing need.

In a letter dated the 17th of April 2015 the DECLG set out a target for South Dublin County Council to deliver 1445 Social housing Units for the period 2015-2017. The targets were set under a combination of Capital and Current expenditure programmes. The Provisional Capital Allocation to support this target is €64.7m.

Also, this week a marketing campaign has been launched to encourage landlords to consider leasing their properties to Local Authorities.

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