@Scorcher Bois Gris: Its a great charity but they are taking up prime real estate in Dublin 4, why can’t they go outside of Dublin? Imagine paying hundreds of thousands for a place on Haddington Road and having to live beside a social housing unit.

@Scorcher Bois Gris: There is a point though, what would it cost to buy on Haddington Road? People can be down on their luck and find their feet in places other than the most expensive place to buy property on the island. Besides… Leitrim in particular are desperate for more people

@Jamo: I used to live in Belgravia, London. Before social housing was built in the area it was squat city. Now it is one of the most exclusive addresses in the world. A bit of social housing, done properly, never did anywhere any harm. If anything it breathes some social awareness and community spirit into an area that lies dormant much of the year. Social housing does not necessarily equal squalor – that is a fallacy we have been trained to believe and we’d do very well to enlighten ourselves and rise above it.

@Lingwood: Belgravia was always exclusive! It has squats similar to this development. And this is in Dublin poorly because it’s a DCC project. The council bought a single house and will relocate it for social housing. McVerry gets to select the eligible candidates etc… but it is a fully funded public housing project. This scheme they are taking into (rebuilding Ireland) wouldn’t make sense in rural villages as councils can just get loans to build. The secret is there isn’t really a homeless problem in Ireland, just a supply problem for single men in the city which has a knock on effect for social welfare families.

@Jamo: I’ll add too that I’m from the Douglas Road in Cork City which has been one of the most exclusive and highly sought after residential areas in Cork for well over 100 years now. Several large social housing projects were built a street over from us in the 70s and a bigger one again in the 90s. They were done properly – good quality, affordable family homes, and have had zero negative impact on local society. Crime rates are as low as ever and property values have continued to rise steadily. So there you go now, two solid, first hand accounts of two major cities close to Dublin with comparable societal dynamics that should put your worries about class warfare in well heeled, urban, residential districts to rest.

@Brynþór Patrekursson: I’m having trouble gleaning sense from your comment, that is my fault and not yours… let me read it again…

Yes, Belgravia was always exclusive due to its proximity to central London and the City, also its being in the Palace’s back yard. It was not, however, a safe or well developed area until investment was made into social housing projects in the area.

Absolutely there is a supply problem here! Which feeds into the homelessness problem. I wasn’t denying that aspect of this article, rather I was attempting to put the other commenter’s mind to rest, they seemed very worried that the wealthy would be put out by living nearby those on lower incomes. They are not, it does not affect them in the slightest.

@Lingwood: typos all around on my part, I’m afraid!

The point was Central London, especially Belgravia, never had affordable housing or cheap rents. Squatters took over old office houses that were sitting on banks asset books. This won’t affect the area, or the street value – although it would be good to see the tenant selection process. Obviously, PMV will pick the less historically bad tenant for their showcase work, but I would be curious if it fair.

@Jamo: why Dublin 4? When it’s in less affluent areas people are screaming about all social housing being crammed into certain areas. They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

@Ciaran O’Toole: why? Why not build them themselves? Why Pay private company’s who take a profit and why pay charity’s? so they don’t have to look after them in the long therm..

@pabloeskabab: Because history has shown that government projects come in way over budget. Think 300%. With no ability to discipline workers, it’s difficult to achieve high performance

@pabloeskabab: WHILE THEY MAKE THERE BUDDIES RICHER

@Mickety Dee: If the government were to take on the project they wouldn’t be employing bricklayers, carpenters, etc. They would contract it out. So no need to “discipline workers”.

@Pauline Fedigan: Their*, and no need to shout.

@pabloeskabab: they are “building them themselves”. This is a cumulation of two schemes. While PMV are the most common (even, quite arrogantly, calling themselves “the national homeless charity”), there are hundreds of similar charities and groups that avail of these schemes throughout the country. All of them are fully funded in their capital and renovation work by the state, with the charity identifying buildings and clients.

My biggest issue is always the charities being an additional layer. This funding would be more efficient if it was national, targeted and not focused on Dublin.

@Brynþór Patrekursson: PS: look for yourself – every single small town in Ireland has a building with vacant apartments for focus groups (like returning emigrants, single elderly women), all noble, but preemptive and inaccessible to social housing lists. This results in people on lists taken low cost rents in HAP, reducing the supply for working families who in turn have to build our rent further away. It’s a mess for everyone, but at the centre of it is a massive hosting charity sector that should be abolished and centralised, but it won’t because it does the govt to outsource it rather than efficiently own it.

@Ciaran O’Toole: Ye and where is the government getting the money from? Yes you got it in one the taxpayer.