Respond welcomes new tenants to forever homes in Portlaoise

Respond, an approved housing body and service provider are delighted to announce they have welcomed new tenants to their new homes, at An Lochan, Summerhill in Portlaoise. The newly completed development provides 12 high-quality, energy-efficient homes, offering safe and secure accommodation for new tenants.

Delivered in partnership with Laois County Council, the homes were funded through a combination of private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) loan from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Niamh Randall, spokesperson for Respond welcomed the collaborative effort involved in bringing this project to life:

“Summerhill is not just about building homes – it’s about providing long-term housing options that help people put down roots and build a future. The partnership with Laois County Council has been key to delivering this development and we are very grateful for the continued support of our funding partners, including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Finance Agency, and The Housing Agency.

“From the moment tenants move in, our Tenant Experience team is there to offer support, answer questions, and help people feel at home. We want every tenant to feel welcomed and connected – not just to their new home, but to their wider community.”

Mark Holohan, who has made Summerhill his home in the last two months, said:

“I find it great, I love it. It’s finished to a very high standard, and I can’t say anything wrong about it. It’s nice and quiet and there isn’t a lot of traffic, so noise is quite low.

“It’s very helpful having a Tenant Relations Officer present, to be able to go straight to them and if I had any problem’s he gets it sorted. My Tenant Relations Officer has been great since I moved in.”

Constructed with a prefabricated timber frame and a brick/block external skin, a less common practice in Ireland for apartments, this scheme demonstrates how to successfully do this in Ireland

All units are A-rated homes, with all units including their own private back garden.

Approximately two kilometres from Portlaoise town centre, the estate is serviced by bus route number two which runs every 30 minutes. In an ideal location, the estate is within close proximity to local amenities, such as shopping, restaurants, theatre, cinema, health and fitness, swimming and sports.

There are also four local primary schools’ situation within a few minutes’ walk of the site, and a new site has been acquired by the Department of Education for the new Dunamase College to be built on the same ring road.

Niamh Randall added,

“With more than 82% of our delivery being construction-led, Respond continues to manage quality and cost through our in-house expertise. We remain committed to working with the Government and partners to provide the homes and services that enable families and communities to flourish.”

Easily accessible, the development is located with fantastic transport links from Dublin city centre with the M7 Motorway a five-minute drive of the site. The town also has a train that services Heuston Station, Dublin, in approximately 48 minutes and is also accessible by bus.