18th September 2015
Crosscare supports Modular Housing Initiative as an Emergency Measure for Homeless Families
Crosscare the social support agency of the Archdiocese today gave its support to the development of short term modular housing which is being proposed by the Dublin Local Authorities as an interim solution to the lack of social housing in the greater Dublin area.
Crosscare’s CEO, Conor Hickey, said that “This is a real emergency we are facing and continuing to put families into hotel accommodation or worse leaving them to fend for themselves is just not acceptable. The modular housing on view is of a good standard and as a short term measure we welcome it as an alternative to hotel accommodation”.
Hickey continued however with a word of caution “We must take great care to ensure that this is only an emergency response while we are waiting for proper social housing to come on stream. It is a frightening thought that families may be left for years in this type of provision. There needs to be a clear exit strategy from modular housing and the use of hotels for families. There should be a plan to ensure that the state’s investment in these type of units can be transferred to alternative uses (e.g. student accommodation) which would continue to ease pressure on the housing market. Families must not be left indefinitely in this type of provision.”