merrion street

Minister for Housing and Planning, Mr. Willie Penrose, T.D., today (27 July, 2011) launched a new housing development by Cluid Housing Association in Sandyford. The project consists of 58 units (mix of one and two bed) in a block of the Beacon South Quarter Development at Sandyford. 24 of the units will be provided for private housing (sale and rent) with the remaining 34 provided for use as social housing. The units have been finished to a high specification and are close to many local amenities while also enjoying proximity to the Luas line.

The project marks the first use of loan finance from the Housing Finance Agency by an approved housing body and the first use of stock controlled by the National Asset Management Agency for the delivery of permanent new social housing.

At today’s launch Minister Penrose said that the project would provide for:

• The delivery of excellent quality, permanent new social housing

• A more prominent role for the voluntary and cooperative sector

• The use of a more sustainable funding model for housing delivery

• The involvement of the Housing Finance Agency

• Greater integration and a more tenure neutral approach, and

• The alignment of key social and economic objectives.

The Minister also praised the collaborative approach adopted by the bodies involved in the project. "I would also like to commend the work of the various organisations in getting us to where we now are – in such a difficult environment, it may be tempting to adopt a bunker mentality. But staff in the various organisations involved have focused more broadly on how to bring about a wider convergence of interests. I welcome this partnership approach – the scale of the challenges we face demand that we work together, flexibly to the greatest extent possible. I look forward to many similar collaborative approaches in the future on leasing as well as acquisition projects.

"It is hard to think of a project which could better encapsulate the principle aims of the Government’s new housing policy statement. But while my objectives, Cluid’s, the Housing Finance Agency’s and NAMA’s may all be aligned here to our mutual benefit, the ultimate and most important beneficiaries of this project will be the households who move in here and enjoy these wonderful homes."