The housing association also progressed a series of other flagship projects in 2022, including the obtaining of planning permission for 95 homes in Cabra, North-West Dublin, and the purchase of a number of sites with existing planning permissions, including in Fairview and the Liberties, both in Dublin, and Fairfield Meadows, Cork, to continue the delivery of much-needed public homes to alleviate crippling pressures on local authority housing waiting lists with homelessness at record levels. 

The delivery of 154 homes in 2022 comes amid an incredibly challenging construction industry landscape following the transition out of Covid-19 restrictions in the early part of the year, soaring inflation, and labor shortages. 

Some major projects delivered this year include: 

• 16 2-and 3-bedroom homes in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary; 
• 16 1-and 2-bedroom apartments in Rhebogue, Limerick City; 
• 20 1-and-2-bedroom apartments in Phibsborogh, Dublin City; 
• 5 first-of-their-kind Aftercare homes in Castlebar and Westport, Co. Mayo; and  
• 16 1-and 2-bedroom apartments in Grand Parade, Cork City.  

Speaking on the delivery of homes, Pat Dennigan, CEO of Focus Ireland, said: “With homelessness reaching record levels for four successive months, we know that urgent and rapid delivery of social and affordable housing is essential if we are to turn the corner and start working our way towards eradicating homelessness. In Focus Ireland, we’re applying every bit of pressure we can at a national and local authority level to speed up the delivery of high-quality public homes, and as an approved housing body, we’re putting our shoulder to the wheel to play our direct part in providing homes across the country.” 

He continued: “In our 2021-2025 Strategy, we set out our ambitious objective of delivering an additional 1,152 homes—about a doubling of the total number of homes we owned or managed at the beginning of the Strategy. With 2021’s delivery total of 170 homes, and this year’s 154, we’re about 30% towards realising that ambition and with a number of significant projects in the pipeline, we’re well on our way to reaching our target.” 

As of the end of 2022, Focus Housing Association owned or managed 1,383 homes across the country with a presence in the following local authorities: Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, Kildare County Council, Carlow County Council, Wexford County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Waterford County Council, Cork City & County Council, Limerick City & County Council, Tipperary County Council, Clare County Council, Mayo County Council and Sligo County Council. 

Jan Mingle, Director of Property at Focus Ireland, said: “We are acutely aware that our housing and homelessness crisis is a national one, and that is why we are seeking to grow our presence nationally so that we can deliver public housing where it is needed most.” 

On some specific projects, she added: “We work with local authorities all over the country, as well as working in collaboration with the Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing, and this year, we have seen the delivery of 16 2-and 3-bedroom homes in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, 16 apartments in Rhebogue, Limerick City, a further 16 apartments in the heart of Cork City at Grand Parade, and we recently completed our 20-apartment development in Phibsborogh, Dublin which will be tenanted early in the New Year. We also delivered first-of-their-kind aftercare homes in Co. Mayo, 5 in total, which is specifically catered to young people aged 18-23 who have recently left the State care system.” 

Focus Ireland’s innovative Meascán model, meaning “mixture” in Irish, is being deployed in a number of our housing schemes, which seeks to create an intentional social mix, comprising households with additional support needs and households without support needs, in an effort to foster greater social integration and cohesion. This model aims to break down barriers and dispel stigmas surrounding those with previous lived experience of homelessness. Putting in place vital wraparound support services to assist some of our tenants to maintain their tenancies wouldn’t be possible without the generous donations received by our supporters. With more than a record 11,000 people homeless, including almost 3,500 children, these supports are needed more than ever.

Concluding, Pat Dennigan said: “Ramping up delivery of social and affordable housing is the only solution if we are to come anywhere near meeting the Government’s commitment to end homelessness by 2030, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Lisbon Declaration. Through our Meascán model, we are trying to build integrated and socially cohesive communities, and this innovative thinking, underpinned by our leading research and evaluation, wouldn’t happen without the goodwill and generosity of the Irish public. Donations make up about 40% of overall funding and every donation, big and small, can help us make a difference and end homelessness every day for families and individuals”. 

Ends 

For press queries, please contact: Roughan MacNamara, Head of Media with Focus Ireland at roughan.macnamara@focusireland.ie or call 086 8515117.