Respond welcomes plans to increase social housing supply

Respond Housing association today warmly welcomed Minister Coveney’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, in particular the increased funding and targets to provide an additional 47,000 new social homes over the next 5 years.

Founder/Director Fr. Pat Cogan ofm said:

‘We welcome the Minister’s initiatives and we offer our considerable and professional in-house design and production services to meet the huge housing need that the Minister has outlined.  Currently, we are engaged in reviewing our Design and Production capabilities to see how we might respond positively to the design and planning needs of ourselves, local authorities and other Approved Housing Bodies.

“We await further evaluation of the details of the Minister’s proposals and if these present a clear way to avoid the many bureaucratic obstacles that in the past we have encountered in the process of housing provision we will, in turn, provide a ready response to the increased production.

“In due course, after a more substantial evaluation, Respond Housing Association will present its more considered response.

“The central challenge in social housing delivery will be the integration of communities. It is vital that there is no return to segregated housing at this critical time. Building houses is only one part of the equation – building real communities is the sustainable solution. We will work closely with our local authority partners to assist them in planning and delivery of integrated, mixed tenure housing, wherever possible.

“All of Irish society will have to play its part in supporting the development of integrated communities. This plan can become a reality but only if we work together”

Full document: Rebuilding Ireland – Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness

Short version can be found at the link here