Housing Association continues to expand in Laois

HOUSING ASSOCIATION CONTINUE TO EXPAND IN CORK
€4.5 Million Funding Approved By Department of Environment


Respond! Housing Association, is pleased to announce that funding approval of €4.5 million for their proposed new development of 32 one-bed elderly apartments at Coomlogane, Millstreet, Co Cork has been received from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Building work will commence in six to eight weeks with an estimated completion date of October 2008.

“We can now progress with providing elderly independent-living accommodation in Millstreet,” said Pat Cogan, Managing Director of Respond! Housing Association. “This is the first phase of the development and we plan to also provide family accommodation and communal facilities in the future. This will mean access to affordable childcare for these families then and other educational and training opportunities for all our residents.”

Respond! believes in building homes and communities, not just houses and hopes that this new development in Millstreet, when fully completed, will lead to the creation of a vibrant, socially integrated community in North Cork. While this is the first Respond! development in the area, the organisation already provides more than 320 homes throughout Cork city and county. The housing charity aims to service the needs of the area’s population and looks forward to working in partnership with North Cork County Council.

"I am delighted to be able to approve funding for this project,” explained Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Batt O Keeffe. “Respond! Voluntary Housing Agency is to be commended for the efforts they are making to provide housing of this nature not only in Cork but right throughout the country."

Respond! is Ireland's largest social housing organisation and currently manages 4,000 units of accommodation across the country with a further 1,500 under construction.

The organisation this year celebrates its 25th anniversary and events are taking place throughout the country to mark the occasion, culminating in an International Conference in Dublin in October. Confirmed speakers including Eddie Hobbs (Broadcaster and Financial Consultant), Professor P.J. Drudy (Trinity College Dublin) Dr Rory O'Donnell (NESC), Fr. Sean Healy (CORI), John Fitzgerald (Limerick Regeneration Agencies), Sean Dorgan (IDA Ireland), Mick Wallace (Wexford Developer) and many, many more. Further information on this event can be obtained by contacting Aoife Walsh on 0818 357901 or emailing conference@respond.ie

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