€8.5m hostel to provide long-term accomodation for 'challenging' clients

A NEW €8.5 million housing scheme, which will provide long-term accommodation to some of the most “challenging” homeless people…

A NEW €8.5 million housing scheme, which will provide long-term accommodation to some of the most “challenging” homeless people, will be opened this morning in Dublin.

The service, called Sundial House, will provide housing to people who have been excluded from other services and will also have an on-site nurse who will provide medical care. Some residents will have avoided such care and may have missed vital treatment.

Sundial House is on James’s Street in the south inner city and is the result of a partnership between the De Paul Trust, the BIH Housing Association and Dublin City Council.

There will be 26 units of accommodation and two of the flats are wheelchair accessible. Four are doubles which will allow couples or friends to reside together. Sundial House will accept referrals of both men and women and it is expected most will be over 35 years.

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Kerry Anthony, chief executive of the De Paul Trust, which will run the service, said many of the residents had been excluded from other services because of alcohol misuse.

“We are committed to supporting some of the most marginalised in society.

“We are able to cater for people with significant health issues and for many this will be the first time in years they have had a permanent home. There is already a waiting list for Sundial House, which clearly demonstrates the need for services like this one in the Dublin area.”

The Lord Mayor, Eibhlin Byrne, described the service as “long-awaited and much-needed”.

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times