Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
HOMELESS FAMILIES BEING moved from hotels into “family hub” facilities are asked to pay a fixed rate charge of €37 per week.
Family hubs are group accommodation units specifically for homeless families looking for permanent accommodation. They aim to provide cooking, cleaning and on site support services for families.
Families are given wrap-around support during the time they spend at the hubs, and have staff who work in helping them secure long-term alternative accommodation.
The hubs are part of the government’s solution to the numbers of families forced to live in hotels due to homelessness. In March of this year, the then-Housing Minister Simon Coveney pledged that hotels would no longer be used to house homeless families by this month.
Families who are currently living in commercial hotels or B&Bs are not asked to pay a weekly charge for their accommodation.
A spokesperson for Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) – which manages the homeless services for the entire Dublin region – confirmed to TheJournal.ie that:
Families residing at family hub facilities will where possible pay the fixed rate charge of €37 per week (under the family household budget scheme).
In cases where families earn more than €300 per week, the payment will be €45.
In May of this year (the latest month for which figures are available), there were 794 families with 1,592 children living in commercial hotels in the Dublin region.
The new family hubs are being opened up by Dublin City Council, in partnership with the DRHE, to support the families who are currently in commercial hotels.
A number of not-for-profit organisations currently operate the hubs in Dublin.
Families will pay the amount that they can based on their income levels and family composition, according to a DRHE spokesperson.*
In development
Today, the DRHE confirmed to TheJournal.ie that there will be a total of 18 family hubs that will provide accommodation to circa 634 families. The numbers of families in each service will vary from 12 up to 80.
Currently, fifteen hubs are being developed by the DRHE at a total estimated cost of €25million, to provide accommodation for some 600 families at any point in time.
It was initially reported in TheJournal.ie in May that the DRHE’s end goal was to have 10 to 15 hubs in order to provide accommodation for about 500 families.
The calculation of cost for families to live in the hubs is based on the Dublin City RAS units and Community Welfare Office system, which is in turn based on the amount of rent supplement a household would be entitled to, based on their income.
According to DRHE, families can either opt to pay the charge via the family household budget scheme or via payment card provided by the council.
NGO providers such as Crosscare, Respond and Salvation Army, who hold a service level agreement with the council, will receive the payments directly from the households.
Criticism
Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) has heavily criticised Dublin City Council for asking residents of the hubs to pay a weekly charge.
“Hubs are in place as a transition to housing which I highly doubt,” CEO of ICHH Anthony Flynn said, raising concerns about how long the families would have to stay in the hubs.
The amount charged isn’t far off the normal rent with a housing co-op or DCC unit.
Except here you have to share your washer, dryer, cooker, kitchen with other families and be rostered to do so.
It’s a highly unacceptable situation.
The plan to use a former Bargaintown warehouse in Coolock as a family hub was met with local resistance and the use of former commercial hotels has also been strongly criticised.
Eleven months ago the government launched its action plan, Rebuilding Ireland, to address housing and homelessness in Ireland.
One aspect of the plan that caused a lot of commentary at the time was the commitment to end the use of commercial hotels and Bed & Breakfasts to house homeless families by the middle of 2017.
The commitment around hotels and families in the plan is this:
Ensure that by mid-2017 hotels are only used in limited circumstances for emergency accommodation for families, by meeting housing needs through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and general housing allocations, and by providing new supply to be delivered through:- An expanded Rapid Build Housing Programme [1,500 units]- A Housing Agency initiative to acquire vacant houses [1,600 units]
However, over the past few months it became apparent that the commitment would not be met on time and the “family hubs” began to be developed.
The first hub, High Park in Drumcondra – operated by Respond! – opened in December.
Speaking on RTÉ News at One in April, Claire, who was living in the High Park hub at the time, said:
“It’s loads better. We’ve got our own space and it is just so much better than being [in the hostel].”
With reporting by Cormac Fitzgerald
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
To be fair…it takes a bigger person to acknowledge they are not the best person for the job. Next question is…who is?
@Dramafree 2023: Hopefully, someone with balls to stand up for Ireland
@Dramafree 2023: me.
@Dramafree 2023: Very good decision for his party. Again he surprised me. Not a typical politician glued to his chair.
@Dramafree 2023: No, it just takes a man who knows his time is up. Like the other ten, he will jump ship because he recognises the impending defeat he has led his party to through the relentless pursuit of foreign agendas ahead of the interests of the Irish people.
@Dramafree 2023: I expect a narcissist of his type to move onto big EU role shortly.
@Dramafree 2023: only took him 7 years
Trying to pretend this is no big deal?…election time now needed…the resignation of Taoiseach is a big deal this government cannot continue
So, just wait now for the inevitable scandal, and real reason for running for the hills, to be revealed. I’m sure he’ll ride off into the sunset with his palms we’ll greased. Rotten to the core.
@Michael Fielding: sure if no scandal comes to pass the conspiracy theorists will make up one
@Dan Ryan: The scandal is his political career. No theories required.
Something is off with this. Looks like he was pushed. Coveney trying not to look smug. Hopefully a general election will happen, not another ‘leader’ who does not represent the wishes of the Irish people, especially one who has publicly stated that they want to double our population
@Tilal Moore:they were going to have a no confidence vote on him as leaders. Which he would have lost . So saved him self Embarrassment
@Tilal Moore: You missed out a word. “Who does not represent the wishes of “some of” the Irish people…”.
You can’t claim that ALL Irish people have the same views as yourself.
@Tilal Moore: Where did he publicly state that he wants to double our population?
@Jason Memail: That was Coveney in 2017 & in 2018 that Cork’s population would treble by 2038
@Sal Paradise: obviously no leader could represent the wishes of all Irish people. We do need someone though who will listen to the concerns of the majority on important issues like healthcare, immigration planning, carer support etc. A general election is the fairest way of allowing the general public to use their voice
You never where the best for the job
@Navanman: why don’t you put your name down for it then
@Navanman: *were
@Fiona Wyse: That’s the kind of quizzical retort you’d expect from a 6 year old.
St Patrick’s revenge.
@JP: best comment so far lmao!
Don’t be fooled into believing this was honourable. There is no honour in that man. He ran from a sinking ship. His name will still be attached to the many many screw ups.. He achieved nothing!
@Eoghan Augusta: he did achieve something though… he’s completely fecked us all over and now he gets to walk away from his mess. Probably has a cushy job in thr EU set up now.
@Morticia Byrne: How, with full employment, a booming economy, majority of people own their own home, airlines and airports packed with holiday makers, you couldn’t throw a stone without hitting a new car ?
The government are setting up an enquiry into the reasons he resigned it will be headed up by Judge Judy.
He never was the best person for the job.
He’s pulling a Bertie, the coward!! He stopped being the best person for the job when the government allowed rent prices to soar to ridiculous levels that they are now at
In the photo, he is turning him back to the camera .just like the way he has turned his back to the Irish people on so many occasions
You never were the best person for the job. Just a little Torieboy boot licker.
You ruined our country . Now take your fg/FF buddies with you. The hardship and damage you have caused on working class people is unbelievable. Maggie Thatcher would be proud of you.
Brilliant at the beginning of pandemic, and if you don’t recognise this you’re fooling yourself, but quite bad on the big issues like housing and health system. Yes, indeed, he was perfect for the rich, for lgbt (no pb with that), but not everybody is rich or gay. He shouldn’t allowed this housing crisis, that’s absolutely incredible the way we are in now where the medium rent in Dublin is 80% of a medium wage.
@Chris: Yes, the memorable quotes from Mean Girls in his national address at the Covid outset was truly brilliant. A true statesman. Definitely not an infantile narcissist.
Good riddance
Don’t like the guy or his party, but that takes balls in fairness. He’s gone up.in my estimations. He’s now at a sum total of 1
Why do I feel like I want to open a bottle of Prosecco. This is the best news from the government in years.
FG have made no progress/improvements In the polls during Varadkar’s 7 year tenure. They have lost several by-elections and just recently the 2 referendums, in what was a disastrous result. The worst leader in FG’s history and one of the worst Taoisigh – he won’t be missed.
Considering he and ffg have had power since the foundation of the state and civil war politics are nearly finished, The grift will go on and on and on ,ps as much as I disagree with the man’s politics , I believe in democracy and he is the leader of of government and I respect that office,
That took a long time to come to that realization…
I think I must be mad, because I believe all those who enter politics should be admired and respected no matter what their political leaning. It is not easy having your family life upset and the unnecessary vile criticism of you constantly. All TDs enter the Dail to do the best they can for the country and not for the money. If it was for money we would have thousands on each ballot paper. All politicians get it wrong but then the are human. As a wise man once said ” he who makes no mistakes knows nothing “
@finbarr walsh: ya you’re mad
All I’ll say is thank God we had a Taoiseach who was a doctor at the start of the pandemic.
@Dawn O’Shea: And while we were building a new children’s hospital too. Made all the difference. Great work Leo.
@Dawn O’Shea: Yes, I’ll remember him for his efforts during the pandemic. He did more there and then to help Irish people and I’ve heard English people praising him and wishing their country had had better oversight. He also volunteered when he didn’t have to. Credit where it’s due; he did his part.
He never was the best person for the job!
“… Continue going forward” , “protect all that’s been achieved…” The man is deluded, the country hasn’t been in this bad a state for a long, long time. I struggled to watch that video, FFS, the guy is starting to cry at one stage !
Do I see Harris rubbing his hands (see photo) with glee anticipating his chances of being the next Taoiseach?
have your say