Peter McVerry Trust unveils plans for 1200 social houses in four years
The plans were unveiled to coincide with a visit from Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the trust’s new southern regional office at Cork’s North Main Street, Cork, where there will be five new apartments. Picture: Graham Seely
Housing and homelessness charity, The Peter McVerry Trust, has unveiled plans for 1,200 social housing units over the next four years - with Cork and Kerry set to see a significant portion of these in the coming years.
The plans were unveiled to coincide with a visit from Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the trust’s new southern regional office at Cork’s North Main Street, Cork, where there will be five new apartments.
The body aims to grow its current housing portfolio of 54 units in Cork and Kerry to over 200 by the end of next year.
Mr Martin said: “The charity is a valued partner in the Government’s efforts to tackle homelessness and the bold targets they have set out today will strengthen the ongoing efforts to tackle the issue of homelessness in Cork and right across the country.
“I am particularly impressed by the volume of one-bedroom homes that Peter McVerry Trust intends to deliver, as we know this is crucial for the successful delivery of important programmes such as Housing First.”
Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, said the plan sets ambitious targets to significantly grow delivery of new homes and also ensures that the organisation remains “well governed, innovative and delivering each and every day for those on the margins of Irish society”.
Mr Doyle said the greatest number of homes will be in key areas such as Cork, Limerick, Dublin and Galway.
“In the southern region of Cork and Kerry, we have 54 homes at present and a pipeline of a further 179 so we are hoping that by the end of next year we will have over 230 social housing units across Cork city, county Cork, and Kerry.”
Some 70% of the Cork and Kerry homes will be one-bedroom apartments spread across multiple small-scale developments, Mr Doyle added.
