THERE were delighted faces all round as a new social housing development was opened for 14 families in Lucan recently.
Respond! Housing Association officially cut the red tape on the development in Moy Glas that will house those who were previously on the South Dublin County Council housing list.
Many of the happy recipients had been on the list for a very long time and include 58 children.
Attending the street party and official opening of the new homes, the Mayor of South Dublin, Cllr Guss O’Connell said: “I would like, on behalf of the people of South Dublin, to welcome all the new residents of Moy Glas Glade to the Lucan community.
“It is wonderful that 14 families, including 20 adults and 58 children have been taken off the housing list thanks to Respond! If we are to really solve our housing crisis, then we need many more initiatives such as this.
“In South Dublin we are not just about providing houses, urgent and all as that is, but even more importantly, we are about building communities. The involvement of Respond! therefore here in Moy Glas Glade is to be welcomed given their track record in this regard. In turn, they are coming into a most vibrant and active community here in Moy Glas Estate.”
The mayor added: “We are enriched in our county by the presence of over 120 different nationalities. At the same time this poses a challenge to us all to ensure that everyone is felt welcome and that their culture, traditions, hopes and expectations are understood and respected. I look forward to working with my councillor colleagues, Respond! and the Moy Glas Residents’ Association in ensuring that we have full integration between the established and new residents.
“This garden party is a mighty step in that direction and I hope it becomes an annual affair and that it can be replicated elsewhere across South Dublin County. I hope everyone has a memorable afternoon.”
Ned Brennan, Chief Operations Officer of Respond! Housing, said they were delighted to host a street party to open the new development.
“We are conscious at all times that the most successful housing developments are the ones where the residents create a real sense of community among themselves and, importantly, with their neighbours,” he said.
“Respond! Housing will manage the Moy Glas Glade Estate, providing family support services and attending to the day-to-day needs of the residents as well as the property.
“The only real way to solve our current housing and homelessness crisis is to build more social housing. Respond! is currently ramping up our current house building and acquisitions programme in order to deal with the substantial need for social housing that exists.
“We are proud of this development and hope that Moy Glas Glade will prove best practice in terms of the quality of the housing supplied, the quality of the support services for the residents and true cohesion among our residents and their neighbours. Housing is only the first step – real success comes from the creation of flourishing communities.”
The building of Moy Glas Glade was financed through a combination of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and a Payment and Availability Agreement (PAA).
