Respond Housing launch Annual Report with 1,160 homes in construction

 Respond Housing launch annual report with 1,160 homes in construction

Respond said that the Government must ensure that housing affordability is tackled to address urgent housing need and homelessness

Respond Housing Association today launched their Annual Report for 2018 highlighting that they currently have 1,160 homes in construction and on-site and expect this number to increase before year end. In 2018, the organisation supported 8,676 tenants in 3,717 social housing homes (6,254 adults and 2,422 children). Working to address the homelessness crisis, Respond also provided short term emergency accommodation with 24/7 wraparound support for 110 families experiencing the trauma of homelessness over the course of the year. Respond aim to deliver 2,500 additional homes by 2023.

The annual report was launched by John Paul Phelan, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government with special responsibility for Local Government and Electoral Reform.

Niamh Randall, Spokesperson for Respond said it had been a busy and exciting year for Respond.

‘We have been very focused on building; we have 1,160 homes onsite and in construction today with a target of delivering 2,500 homes by 2023. We are really looking forward to handing over keys to those families who need and deserve a secure place to call home. We are supporting approximately 9,000 tenants working across the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland. What we in Respond see each and every day is the importance of a home and the security that it brings to people. We see the difference this makes to people in terms of their overall health and wellbeing but also their ability to engage in employment, education and training. People cannot fully participate in society if they don’t have a safe and secure home.’

Niamh Randall, Spokesperson for Respond, said that Respond are proactively addressing the homelessness crisis as a service provider.

‘Respond are now providing homeless services in six locations across Ireland. In 2018, we worked with 110 families in five locations providing emergency accommodation with 24 hour wraparound support. 76% of the children we worked with were under 10 years of age with 58% being under 5 years of age.  The average length of stay was six months with the absence of housing options being the main barrier to families leaving homelessness behind.  The majority of families (36) moved onto the Private rented sector with the support of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP); 9 families moved into social housing managed by Local Authorities or an Approved Housing Body (AHB); 16 families returned to their family of origin and 16 families moved to another Supported Temporary Accommodation services or Private Emergency Accommodation.’

‘Respond is committed to supporting families and individuals experiencing homelessness on their path back to independent living. This means working with people around physical health issues, mental health issues and the  the trauma of becoming homeless and providing support to access housing. We also provide supports to children who are in our services to help them to cope with this stressful situation as effectively as possible. The support provided to families in 2018 included the following areas housing; mental health and emotional support; child and youth support and parenting skills; education, training and employment; medical, drugs and alcohol issues; budgeting, legal issues and language skills. We also continue to work with families once they have moved on, if they wish, to support them to sustain their new home. We have worked with 306 families since December 2016.’

We would like to thank all of our partners which include Local Authorities, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency, the Dublin Regional Homelessness Executive, Limerick City and County Council and the Health Services Executive for their support this year and every year.  We reiterate our firm commitment to playing our part building homes throughout the country and providing services for families and individuals who are in housing need.

 

For further information and interviews contact:

Helen McCormack Tel: 087 104 7793

Email: helen.mccormack@respond.ie

Respond Annual Report Launch

Date: Wednesday, November 27th

Time: 09.45am

Venue: Buswells Hotel, Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Facts from our Annual Report

• 3,717 social housing homes owned and managed.
• Homes in 143 estates across 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland.
• Supporting 8, 676 tenants in housing; 6254 adults and 2422 children.
• 110 families experiencing homelessness supported in emergency accommodation with 24/7 wraparound support last year across five locations.
• The average length of stay was six months with the absence of housing options being the main barrier to families leaving homelessness behind.
• Ages of the children we worked with:
  • 94 (58%) 0-5 years.
  • 29 (18%) 6-10 years.
  • 5 (15%) 11-15 years.
  • 25 (3%) Total adult dependents.
• 306 families supported in emergency accommodation with 24/7 wraparound support since December 2016.

About Respond

Respond, a not‐for‐profit housing association, has been working all around Ireland for over 36 years. Our vision is that every family and individual in Ireland will have high‐quality housing as part of a vibrant and caring community. We firmly believe that housing and decent accommodation, in the areas where people want to live, are central to improving people’s lives and enhancing the health and well‐being of society. We are proactively responding to the housing and homelessness crisis providing real on‐the‐ground solutions and we are working hard to identify ways to support people to move out of homelessness into secure homes quickly. We own and manage 4,526 homes across the 26 counties in Ireland where approximately 9,000 tenants live. Respond currently have 1,160 homes in construction and onsite.

We provide emergency accommodation with support for families who are homeless in six Family Hubs where our goal is to support families to move into secure homes as quickly as possible leaving homelessness behind. We provide wraparound support in relation to access to housing, mental and physical health services, family or parenting support and a range of other issues. We also continue to work with families once they have moved on to ensure the sustainability of these exits. In addition to housing and related work we also provide Day Care Services for Older People, Early Education, Childcare, Family Support and Resettlement Services.