VIDEO: Supports urged for modular home families

A homeless charity says plans to introduce modular homes, while welcome, must not detract from the need to tackle the rent issue.

Depaul Ireland warned that rising rents would continue to catapult more families into homelessness over the winter.

“It is critical that the Government end the impasse on this issue and agree an appropriate humanitarian response,” it said.

Dublin City Council met last night to discuss plans to introduce modular homes for families living in emergency hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation.

The Government had approved, in September last, the provision of 500 modular homes on sites in each of the four Dublin local authority areas.

The first 150 units will be delivered within four months on sites in the Dublin City Council area using the most expeditious procurement and planning provisions. The council has identified five sites that can accommodate between 105 and 153 modular homes. They are Poppintree, Ballymun (22); Mourne Rd, Drimnagh (29); Belcamp Avenue, Coolock (38); St Helena’s Drive, Finglas (40), and Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot (24).

Dublin City Council said 22 of the units would be delivered before Christmas.

It stressed all of the sites would reach the highest standards for city council-approved residential developments.

The council said all of the families placed in modular housing would have “tailor-made” support and the ultimate objective would be to help them find long-term tenancies as quickly as possible.

Focus Ireland said the allocation of the emergency accommodation should be based on ensuring families could continue to keep their children in the local school they had been attending before they lost their homes. It pointed out parents had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep their children in the same school, even if it meant crossing town each morning.

Dublin Simon Community said the modular homes must not be delivered without the provision of support infrastructure for the families and their children.

It said the slow response from the Government showed it was failing to grasp the scale of the homelessness crisis.