The guest speaker was Johnny Kelly, the discussion was chaired by Paul Hughes, and the DCC client was Dáithí Downey. A full list of participants is below.

The group explored the following issue:

Dublin is currently in the middle of a major Housing Crisis. The price of property for both sale and rent in Dublin is increasing dramatically due to lack of new housing supply, both public and private. Affordability is a key challenge for many citizens and waiting lists for all forms of public housing are growing exponentially. Homelessness in Dublin is reaching critical levels.

How can new public housing meet Dublin’s unmet housing needs, and be made acceptable for users, Dublin City Council and local residents?

Context

The 2013 Housing Strategy provided that homelessness should be addressed using a ‘housing led approach’. Homeless persons may be placed into 3 categories:

1. Survivors of institutions, persons suffering from abuse or addiction
2. Unmet housing need – affordability (No means to access housing in any other market)
3. Economic – post crisis (People who sought to provide their own housing but no longer are able to do this)

Dublin City Council is proposing to address the issue of homelessness via Public Housing Provision, using well designed innovative and high quality, low energy modular housing for rent, similar to those used in the Scottish Housing Expo.

How can modular build public housing be made acceptable to users and local residents?

What could be piloted in 2015?

Objective

Devise a 2015 pilot project that could demonstrate how modular build public housing can be made acceptable to users and local residents.

Please see the group’s key slide plenary session presentation below.