Today in Respond’s Dublin headquarters in Drumcondra, Minister Coveney officially opened the new High Park Family Hub.
Family Hubs are a caring new model of accommodation for families experiencing homelessness. They include wrap-around services to help families be in a better position to move into their own homes in the short-term. Designed as a better alternative to commercial hotels and B&Bs, Respond will be rolling out this model in other locations in partnership with local authorities.
Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government said:
“High Park is the product of a strong partnership between Respond, Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Dublin City Council and my own Department to deliver high quality accommodation and appropriate supports for families while more long-term housing options are put in place. It is a model that I want to see replicated, as we work towards the mid-year target of ensuring that hotels will only be used for emergency accommodation in very limited circumstances.”
Declan Dunne, CEO of Respond said:
“We are pleased today to welcome the Minister and our partners to the launch our first Family Hub. We opened our doors just before Christmas and already four families have found homes of their own with the help of our support workers. The model, even in these early stages, appears to be working.
“The Family Hub is our humanitarian response to address the needs of homeless families in Ireland today. Many of the families here need and now have proper facilities, especially for their children. Our 24-hour support services are tailored to the needs of individual families with key workers for every resident. This is interim accommodation – with the aim that families leave Respond in a better position than when they arrived and move into homes of their own.
“Respond will continue to ramp up our building and acquisition plans alongside our Family Hubs to fully play our part in fulfilling the ambitious targets in Rebuilding Ireland and help every family in Ireland have the home that they need, want and deserve”.
ENDS
