Peter McVerry Trust has opened its newest social housing development in Fingal today. The scheme of eight one-bedroom homes together with a small community building is the charity’s first greenfield development. It has been specifically designed to provide housing to single people with the most complex needs.
The scheme was supported by Fingal County Council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and was primarily funded through Rebuilding Ireland. The scheme was also supported by money raised in 2018 through the Refund Project, an initiative to encourage people to donate their refunds from Irish Water to three of Ireland’s leading homeless charities.
Pat Doyle CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said: “This scheme consists of eight really high-quality units and a community building delivered at a cost of around €1.6 million. The new tenants will have access to both visiting and on-site supports from Peter McVerry Trust staff, while the community building will provide residents with a central location in which to socialise.”
The Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Anthony Lavin said: “Fingal County Council has been a pro-active leader in providing housing solutions. We could not do this without the help of organisations such as Peter McVerry Trust who work tirelessly to support our residents impacted by this crisis. I would like to wish those living here a very happy and safe future in the beautiful Ravenswood development.”
Fingal County Council’s Director of Housing and Community, Margaret Geraghty, said: “Fingal County Council’s development of social housing is very strong. In order to meet the Rebuilding Ireland targets, we will need to continue to provide housing solutions through various mechanisms. This requires on-going commitment, hard work, and collaboration between local authorities and our partners in the Department of Housing and the Approved Housing Bodies. With a continued partnership approach, I believe we can achieve further improvement and I look forward to the progress we can make in 2019 and beyond.”
The project was designed by architects Fitzgerald Kavanagh and Partners, and was supported by Fingal County Council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government through Rebuilding Ireland.
