25th May 2018
The first empty home to be brought back under the Repair and Lease scheme in Dublin City was officially unveiled today by the homeless and housing charity, Peter McVerry Trust.
The property, which had been vacant for a number of years, underwent a huge transformation for a budget of €39,000 with the work completed in little over 8 weeks. Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy was on hand at the unveiling today and met the new tenants who were exiting homelessness after two years in hotels.
Peter McVerry Trust has long championed the cause of re-using empty homes as a key part of the response to the thousands of people in homelessness. The charity said it was delighted that it had secured the property by working with the owner and Dublin City Council.
Today we are unveiling our first home renovated through the Repair and Lease scheme. Speaking from the home, Peter McVerry Trust CEO Pat Doyle explains more about the initiative and the impact it will have on a family’s life.
Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said “We are absolutely delighted to get our first repair and lease property over the line, and we promise that this will be the first of many. We have a pipeline of 23 that we believe we will deliver in Dublin, Kildare, Louth and Limerick this year.
“I am absolutely delighted with this property, because it not only gives a family a secure and quality home, but it demonstrates perfectly what can be achieved under the Repair and Lease scheme. We hope that owners of other vacant properties will come forward once they see the potential to transform their empty property and give someone a new home.”
Huge Potential in Empty Homes
Concluding, Mr Doyle said “Peter McVerry Trust has always believed that empty homes represent a real opportunity and there are a lots of properties out there that could be turned around quickly and cheaply to help take people out of homelessness for good. We will continue to engage with property owners, local authorities and the Department of Housing to secure as many new homes as possible.”