Hogan Court, Dublin 2
Background
Hogan Court is a block of 12 former local authority flats. The units, which had been used predominantly to provide housing to older individuals, had fallen into very poor state of repair. Vandalism and dereliction meant that many of the units required extensive renovation in order to make them habitable.
The units would have been counted among the hundreds of voids in Dublin and where among a number of sites identified by Peter McVerry Trust as suitable for renovation and management by the charity.
Partnership
In order to secure the units a partnership between Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin City Council and the CIF’s members and supporters was agreed. The CIF’s members and supporters agreed to meet the significant expense involved in carrying out the works needed. Peter McVerry Trust, together with its architects Fitzgerald Kavanagh and Partners have supported the project delivery through technical support and smaller financial contributions.
The units which are owned by Dublin City Council have now been leased to Peter McVerry Trust on a long term basis. Peter McVerry Trust was only able to secure the lease based on a commitment to renovate and manage the units.
Project Works
The project works centre on producing high quality accommodation units for individual homeless people. Individuals are the largest group within homelessness in Ireland yet find it extremely difficult to access social housing, which has historically been built as family homes.
The project will see extensive internal renovations of the properties, with new windows, electrics, plumbing, dry lining and improvements made to fire safety standards and ventilation. External works will focus on creating a more aesthetically appealing block of apartments and to improve disability access to the ground floor units. Landscaping of the green areas will add to the construction improvements and help achieve a significant improvement in the visual amenities in the community.
Beneficiaries
The new tenants will be individuals taken from Dublin City Council’s housing list including people coming directly from homeless services.
Peter McVerry Trust is now working towards placing tenants in the new units in the days before Christmas 2015. Full occupancy will be achieved shortly thereafter as tenants are moved into the units on a staggered basis.
Each individual regardless of their level of need will have the support of Peter McVerry Trust’s highly skilled Housing with Supports team. This team will work to ensure that tenancies are sustained and that residents are supported to integrate into their community by partaking in education, training and employment. An on site caretaker will also aid the work of the Housing with Supports team.
