Featured News Archives - Page 3 of 9

Be Winter Ready!

As the cold weather sets in, households may face high energy bills. This page includes useful advice and tips including Budgeting/ Financial Tips, Cost-of-living payments & welfare entitlements, Energy Customer Rights/ Entitlements.

You can also find useful information in SEAI’s ‘Reduce your Use’ booklet here:

It is important to stay safe during the colder months. Please visit the Gov.ie ‘Be Winter Ready’ page with lots of information on how to stay safe during the winter months, and where to find help should you need it.

https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/aa78b9-be-winter-ready/#

1. Energy Saving Tips in the home

Did you know there are ways you can reduce your energy and fuel consumption in your home? Check out the following energy saving tips:

2. Cost of Living Payments & Welfare Entitlements

Did you know that in the 2024 Budget there are payments to help those households who may be on a lower income?

To view the latest Cost of Living Payments available from Budget 2024, including upcoming energy bill credits, visit the Citizen’s Information page here:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/cost-of-living

You may also be entitled to social welfare payments and income that you are not already claiming.

3. Information on Electricity Suppliers

Make sure you know your rights and entitlements this winter when it comes to your electricity supply and rates. Contact Electric Ireland on 1800 372 372. You can also find more information on the Commission for Regulation of Utilities website on how to deal with your utility supplier or network operator: https://www.cru.ie/home/customer-care/

Housing Alliance call for tenders: Evaluating the classification of Approved Housing Bodies in Ireland

The Housing Alliance is calling for tenders to evaluate Ireland’s classification of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

In 2018, Eurostat and the Central Statistics Office took the decision to reclassify Ireland’s largest AHBs, placing them on the government balance sheet. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate what has changed in the sector in terms of financing, governance, and risk management since the decision was taken, and the extent to which the basis for that decision may have changed. Additionally, the research will assess and evaluate the current and potential impacts on AHBs, both positive and negative, of remaining on balance sheet. The final report will conclude with recommendations for next steps in terms of the classification of AHBs in Ireland.

This research is jointly commissioned by The Housing Alliance which is a collaboration of seven of Ireland’s largest Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs): Clúid Housing, Circle Voluntary Housing, Co-operative Housing Ireland, Oaklee, Respond, The Iveagh Trust and Tuath Housing.

To deliver social housing, the Housing Alliance works in partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; local authorities; the Housing Agency; a range of funding partners; and the private sector. Collectively, the Alliance is responsible for over 44,000 homes nationwide.

AHBs are not-for-profit organisations that have a social purpose to provide for people’s housing needs by working in collaboration with the Government, local authorities and relevant partner stakeholders. In particular, Housing Alliance members work in partnership with local authorities to support the provision of housing and, in many cases, additional supports.

To apply, please find further details here.

Tuath Housing launches three new community spaces across Leinster

Tuath Housing is delighted to have recently launched three new community spaces for residents across Meath, Louth and Dublin.

On 25th September, Tuath officially opened the Lovett House Community Room in Donnybrook, Dublin 4. This new community space now serves as a vibrant hub for residents of the 38 apartments in this development to hold cultural events, workshops and educational programmes. Residents of all ages enjoyed refreshments at the launch event, taking the opportunity to peruse the new library and television set while connecting with neighbours and making plans for future community initiatives. This exciting initiative was made possible with thanks to the Department of Rural and Community Development, the local Community Development Committee and Pearse Street library.

On Tuesday 29th October, the newly refurbished Metges Road Community Room was officially launched in Navan, Co. Meath. Made possible through the generosity of developer Lydon who have gifted this space to Tuath, and through funding from Tuath Housing, this space is intended for use by residents of nearby Knightsbrook, Dunville House and Metges Road. On the day, Cllr Eddie Fennessy, Mayor of Navan, and Niall Duffy, a Housing Manager with Tuath, shared a few words to celebrate this opening. Cllr Fennessy noted the space “is a much-needed amenity for a large and growing number of residents in the Johnstown area.” Residents and Tuath staff were joined by representatives from the local Community Gardaí who spoke about their role in the area, while a representative from Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) highlighted the available range of academic and hobby-based courses for local residents. A children’s entertainer while a children’s entertainer painted faces, made balloons and played music.

On Wednesday 30th October, residents at Rampart’s Green, Drogheda celebrated the awarding of € 30,000 from the Housing Finance Agency Social Investment Fund. The event provided residents with an opportunity to imagine how the large outdoor space in the estate will be transformed into a play and seated area with a sensory garden.. The funding will be awarded to North and East Housing Association (NEHA), which was the lead partner in this funding application. The project will be delivered by Tuath and NEHA. We look forward to seeing progress in the coming months.

Tuath would like to thank all partners and funders who contributed to the delivery of these new community spaces. It is hoped that these shared amenities will provide an opportunity for Tuath residents and staff to connect as we continue to develop strong and sustainable communities across Ireland.

Celebrating Community Spirit: Tuath Housing Best Kept Estate Awards 2024

The annual Tuath Housing Best Kept Estate Awards are back! This year, we are delighted to announce the ten overall winners for 2024! These awards recognise the outstanding contribution of communities who come together and dedicate their time, energy, and resources to improve their estates and foster community spirit.

Ten overall winners were chosen – congratulations to the outstanding estates!

Arus Mhuire, Blackrock, Cork

Baker’s Lot, Kickham Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary

Clare Village, Malahide Road, Dublin 17

The Dyers’ Works, Cork Street, Dublin 8

Dundoogan, Haynestown, Dundalk, Louth

Liscorrie, Drogheda, Louth

Fenton Green, Kilcock, Kildare

Windmill Row, Garristown, Co Dublin

Gleann an Ghairdin, Gorey, Wexford

Cnoc an Luir, Drumshanbo, Leitrim

Each winning estate has demonstrated a real commitment to community engagement, cleanliness, and sustainability. The criteria for judging included collaborative efforts among residents, effective waste management, and the hosting of clean-up days.

The awards are not just a celebration of the overall ‘look and design’ of an estate, but they reflect a deeper sense of community spirit. Many of the winners have organised community projects, fostering connections among residents and enhancing their neighbourhood’s. For example, projects focusing on biodiversity, such as planting trees and flowers in communal areas, highlight the innovative ways communities are coming together to create greener spaces.

As part of the recognition for this achievement, each winning estate will receive a €500 garden centre voucher to further enhance their communal areas.

Many congratulations to all ten winning estates and to everyone who participated in Tuath Housing Best Kept Estate Competition 2024!

Irish Council for Social Housing Finance & Development Conference 2024

Tuath Housing was pleased to attend and participate in the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) Finance & Development Conference 2024 in Sligo this week.

Tuath was shortlisted for the ICSH Social Impact Award 2024 at the ICSH Conference, while members of staff from across the organisation spoke on important topics in the Irish social housing sector such as delivery, sustainability and resident involvement across the two-day event.

On Wednesday 16th October, Director of Property Services Nick Sheward and Senior Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Whitty pitched the Circular Reno Project for the ICSH Social Impact Challenge 2024. Tuath was shortlisted for this award, which highlights projects that promote Environmental, Social and Governance practice in housing and communities.

Tuath is an Irish partner for this EU project which seeks to develop modular bio-based construction materials from Agri-crops for application in modular construction retrofit. The pilot Irish home in this project was completed in July 2024, and Tuath plans to similarly retrofit a further ten homes throughout Ireland with this project.

Further details on this project can be found here and here.

In parallel sessions across the conference, further Tuath representatives spoke on Wednesday afternoon. Aileen Gallagher, Head of New Business and Delivery at Tuath, explored challenges and opportunities for social housing providers in Ireland during the ‘Meeting Cost Rental and Affordable Housing Demand’ panel. Kate Joyce, Head of Sustainability and Strategic Projects, discussed Tuath’s commitment to embedding sustainability into all aspects of our organisation throughout the afternoon’s ‘Embedding Social & Environmental Best Practice into Development’ discussion.

On Thursday morning, Nick Sheward, Director of Property Services, talked about how we put residents’ experiences at the heart of our work at Tuath during the ‘Safeguarding Communities Over Commodities’ event. He spoke about how services at Tuath are resident-led and how we empower and connect with residents to ensure their voices are heard.

Tuath would like to thank the Irish Council for Social Housing who organised this conference, providing an opportunity to connect with partners, stakeholders and colleagues across the Irish social housing sector.

Tuath welcomes EU partners for Circular Reno visit

Tuath and KORE Retrofit recently welcomed partners from the EU’s Interreg North-West Europe Circular Reno project for a two-day visit to Ireland.

The Circular Reno project seeks to develop bio-based materials from local agri-crops to retrofit homes.

During the visit, staff from our Sustainability and Property Services teams hosted a partner day in the Fumbally Stables, Dublin 8. It was a chance for partners to get to know one another better, share status updates on their projects and learn about key innovators in bio-based materials.

They also discussed topics including communication strategies, regulation and insurance, and carbon credits.

The following day, programme partners visited retrofit sites across Westmeath and Offaly, a valuable opportunity to see real examples of how low-carbon construction materials are being used to improve existing homes.

Learn more about the first Irish home retrofit to be completed as part of the Circular Reno project here.

Results published for quarter 3 Tenant Satisfaction Survey

The results of a survey carried out during Quarter 3 of 2024 have just been published, detailing residents’ experiences of how Tuath delivers key services and maintains its homes.

Tuath is delighted to announce that over nine in ten residents are satisfied with the overall quality of their homes (92%), while more than eight out of ten residents are satisfied with the overall service provided by Tuath Housing (81%).

Carrying out this survey is just part of the work Tuath Housing does to involve residents in developing services. As well as publishing the results of the survey, Tuath Housing plans to put the findings to good use by working with residents to further improve the services provided to them.

Please click on the image below to view the Tuath Housing Resident Satisfaction Survey Q3 2024.

Minister O’Brien officially opens 31-home age-friendly development in Lusk

On Friday 27th September, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh welcomed Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien to Lusk for the official opening of Kilhedge Gardens, a new housing development delivered by Tuath Housing Association in partnership with Fingal County Council.

Kilhedge Gardens is an age-friendly scheme providing 31 new single-story homes. The development – delivered through direct build by Tuath on land owned by Fingal County Council – consists of 18 two-bedroom and 13 one-bedroom homes, with an additional communal facility area for residents. The new homes were funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage via the Capital Assistance Scheme, a funding mechanism for the delivery of homes for priority groups such as older persons. The architects for the project were Walsh Associates and the main contractor was M.L Quinn Construction.

In 2010, Tuath delivered its first homes in partnership with Fingal County Council at Garristown, Northwest Fingal and has since delivered over a 1000 homes in the County. With over 1,200 homes currently in the pipeline for the Council area, Tuath continues to work closely with the local authority. Tuath currently manages over 14,000 homes nationwide in every local authority area, housing some 37,000 people.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh said: “It gives me great pleasure to see this top-notch development from Tuath being opened to help deliver much needed age-appropriate homes for older people in our community. This is a superb new build in the heart of Lusk and I wish the residents all the very best in their new homes.”

Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage Darragh O’Brien, who turned the sod on the development in February 2023 commented: ‘’Today’s launch of 31 safe and secure homes for older persons is most welcome here in Fingal. Kilhedge Gardens includes both a communal facility for residents and close proximity to Lusk town centre – this scheme lives up to the ambition of Housing for All by successfully delivering high-quality, well-located homes that prioritise not only the safety and comfort of older persons but also economic, social, and environmental sustainability.’’

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, noted: “We are delighted to partner with Tuath and the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage on these new homes and associated facilities for older people. This scheme allows us to move tenants, currently living in larger homes, to accommodation that is more appropriate to their current needs.”

Prof. Paddy Gray, Chair of Tuath’s Voluntary Board of Directors said: “The provision of age-appropriate housing is an important aspect of Tuath’s delivery programme. As an age-friendly organisation, we are delighted to work in partnership with Fingal County Council on these 31 homes for older persons and the 1,200 homes in the development pipeline for the area. I would also like to thank the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for their support, with funding provided through the Capital Assistance Scheme.”

Dublin City Council officially launches first Cost Rental homes in partnership with Tuath

On Thursday, 26th September, Dublin City Council (DCC) and Tuath Housing officially launched the first cost rental homes in Dublin City.

This new development delivered by DCC in partnership with Tuath Housing is one of the largest public housing projects in the country and will cater for the needs of over 500 citizens.

Built by GEM Construction, De Verdon Place offers multiple community spaces, including rooftop gardens, an outdoor playground facility and Crèche. Families, couples and individuals have already begun moving into their new homes.

Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing offering an affordable, long term and secure form of rental tenure, with rents 31% below the local area average. Rents for the cost rental homes start at €1395.

77 Cost Rental Homes (23 one-bed, 54 two-bed)
161 Social Homes (25 one-bed, 136-two bed)

Councillor Naoise Ó Múirí on behalf of the Lord Mayor of Dublin said:

“It’s great to see the delivery of Dublin’s first set of cost-rental homes happening right here on the Northside. I wish our new tenants every success and I hope that they will be very happy here. I look forward to Dublin City Council scaling up its work with development partners to deliver more cost rental, social and of course affordable purchase homes for our communities right across the City.”

Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, said:

“It’s great to see the scale of Housing for All at work on the ground here today. This development will provide secure, high-quality homes which will make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of families and individuals. It’s clear that the hard work and effective collaboration between local authorities like Dublin City Council and Approved Housing Bodies such as Tuath is delivering the quantity and mix of homes which are needed to meet our ambitious housing targets. ‘’It’s especially significant that this development contains Dublin City’s first cost-rental homes. The first of many. Cost rental is a key element of Housing for All and has already been extremely successful in providing stable, affordable, long-term rental homes for individuals and families. A recent report which Tuath commissioned in partnership with our other AHBs, found that 84% of respondents described their Cost Rental tenancy as very secure, many of the residents noted that the quality and size of their cost rental home was far superior to their previous accommodation in the private rental sector and that over 70% report having a positive relationship with their AHB landlord. As we continue to scale up cost rental delivery, we remain committed to providing affordable, sustainable and suitable housing options.”

Richard Shakespeare, Dublin City Council, Chief Executive:

“De Verdon Place is a fantastic new housing development with a great mix of tenure. The development is in a wonderful area on the Northside of Dublin with an array of amenities, facilities and services nearby. We would like to thank Tuath Housing for partnering with us to deliver De Verdon Place development. Finally, I’d like to warmly extend my best wishes to all the new residents as they embark on this exciting new chapter of their lives in their new homes.

Paddy Gray, Chair of Tuath Housing association:

“At Tuath, we are committed to providing secure, high-quality homes that are as affordable as possible for people across Ireland. We are delighted to be involved in the delivery of Dublin City Council’s first cost rental homes. As Ireland’s leading cost rental housing provider, we continue to support the Government and local authorities nationwide in the delivery of homes under this model. De Verdon is a prime example of working in partnership and emphasizes our dedication to expanding cost rental housing, ensuring long-term security, comfort, and high-quality accommodation in great communities.”

Tuath partners with Clúid & Respond to launch Cost Rental report

On Thursday, the first major piece of research in to Cost Rental housing in Ireland –‘The Impact of Cost Rental Housing: Security, Affordability and Place,’ was launched at Buswell’s Hotel in Dublin.

Tuath partnered with Approved Housing Bodies Clúid and Respond alongside researchers Dr. Michael Byrne (UCD) and Dr. Cian O’Callaghan (Trinity College Dublin) on this project which was funded by the Housing Agency. The report highlights the vital role of this new housing tenure in providing secure, affordable and high-quality homes.

OSM PHOTO – 12/09/2024 – REPRO FREE -Picture: Arthur Carron
Pictured are: David Silke, Housing Agency, Dr Cian O’Callaghan (Trinity College Dublin), Reyhana Cushran, Respond, Dr Michael Byrne (UCD) , Louise Thompson, Tuath and Cluid Tennant Mary Osakwe.

Key Findings

84% of respondents described their Cost Rental tenancy as very secure.
Only 24% worry about eviction, sometimes or frequently.
Over 70% report having a positive relationship with their AHB landlord.
81% felt confident contacting their landlord regarding repairs – underscoring their sense of security.
Many of the residents noted that the quality and size of their cost rental home was far superior to their previous accommodation in the private rental sector.

OSM PHOTO – 12/09/2024 – REPRO FREE – Picture: Arthur Carron
Pictured are: Reyhana Cushran, Respond, Louise Thompson, Tuath and David Silke, Housing Agency

OSM PHOTO – 12/09/2024 – REPRO FREE – Picture: Arthur Carron
. Pictured are: Reyhana Cushran, Respond, Louise Thompson, (left) Tuath and Cluid Tennant Mary Osakwe. (right)

The full press release is available here. To read the full report, click on the image below.