St Stan in Cork to open new homes, says 'wrong time' to end eviction ban

Focus Ireland founder Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said it is the “wrong time” for the Government to lift the eviction ban, saying that homeless levels are the worst she has seen since setting up the housing and homeless charity almost 40 years ago.

The veteran campaigner was speaking on Friday at the official opening of Focus Ireland’s new Cork office on Grand Parade where 16 homes have been developed overhead.

“I think it’s the wrong time to do it [lift the ban],” said Sr Stan. 

“I think there should have been another spell of time in order to ensure that there’s proper preparation for it in the sense that there’s more accommodation, more housing planned and implemented, because it will mean hundreds of people will be homeless.

“It doesn’t mean that a ban on eviction is the answer to the crisis, it’s not the answer, but in the short term while we’re preparing to ensure that people don’t end up homeless, I think it’s important that it not be lifted, but it is now, and we have to do the best we can.”

Focus Ireland and sister organisation and approved housing body Focus Housing Association welcomed Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Lord Mayor of Cork city, Deirdre Forde, to launch the homes in the heart of the city.

Former vacant premises

The Grand Parade site was previously a vacant commercial premises at ground floor level and derelict above.

It has now been transformed and renovated to deliver 16 homes to people on Cork City Council’s housing waiting list.

The B1-rated apartments are delivered by Focus Housing Association, with the support of Cork City Council, the Housing Finance Agency, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and with donations from the Tomar Trust via Community Foundation Ireland.

The ground floor of the premises will serve as Focus Ireland’s central office in Cork to help the charity to deliver its work supporting people in the county.

Speaking at the launch, Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan spoke of the need to replicate projects such as the Grand Parade initiative.

“We know that in every town and city nationwide there are empty, vacant, and derelict buildings which could be used to help resolve our housing and homelessness crisis.

“At a time of such great unmet housing need, where the demand for social and affordable housing is through the roof, at a time when local authority waiting lists, including here in Cork, have thousands of families waiting for secure, decent housing, we must tackle the blight that is vacancy and dereliction.”

Mr Martin said that housing and increasing the supply of homes is the “number one priority” for the Government and that it is putting “every effort” into addressing the challenges to produce homes of every type.

“Partnership and co-operation with approved housing bodies, such as Focus Housing Association, is vital in the time ahead as we ramp up delivery and work to meet our Housing for All targets,” said Mr Martin.

The Lord Mayor of Cork city lauded the project.

“These are exactly the type of projects we need to be advancing and ramping up over the coming months and years to meet our housing supply targets, and collaboration with approved housing bodies such as Focus Housing Association will be central to meeting those ambitions,” she said.

Sr Stan, who is also the life president of Focus Ireland, said the new homes at Grand Parade mean the Focus Housing Association now provides homes for nearly 1,400 households across Ireland.

“While it is fantastic to see the tenants get their keys and move in, we must also recognise the wider current crisis.

“It causes me great sadness to say that this is the worst I have ever seen homelessness in Ireland since we first set up Focus Ireland in 1985 almost 40 years ago. We must be hopeful that we find the courage to end this crisis for so many families and children, but we must also retain our anger at the situation and never accept that homelessness cannot be prevented and ended. Much more needs to be done. We must not rest until it is.”