Clúid's sheltered housing scheme just the job for satisfied residents

For the first few weeks when he moved to his new apartment in Dublin's north inner city, Jim Higgins (62) would wake in the night thinking "someone was going to knock on the door and tell me I wasn't meant to get a place here, there'd been a mistake".

He lives in a sheltered housing scheme, run by the voluntary agency Clúid, since 2002. Open five years, the scheme provides 52 units in Killarney Court - formerly the notorious St Joseph's Mansions flats, which were handed over to Clúid by Dublin City Council to run, some years ago.

Elsie Campion, from the area, is the warden of the sheltered housing section, and describes her job as "just making sure everything is alright".

"It's independent living but I'm here if there's any problem, if people need a home help or have health problems."

Mr Higgins says getting a place was: "the best thing that's ever happened to me. " Sitting in the tea-and-coffee room the sturdy, gracious man, originally from Blanchardstown, west Dublin, tells how he left for England when he was 18 though he could not keep a job or a relationship "because of the drink".

"I was in and out of hostels and bedsits, I was a wino on the streets. All my brothers were alcoholics, and my dad as well. One of my brothers was found dead out in Cabra a few years ago - drank himself to death."

Mr Higgins tried to give up alcohol many times, but kept lapsing. Returning to Ireland made no difference. He was living in a bedsit, "lonely, depressing" when local Sinn Féin councillor Christy Burke lobbied for him to get a place in the Clúid scheme.

"Oh, I have a much, much better life now. I went back to AA five years ago and have been dry since. I also work 19½ hours a week. This is like a family here, a community. I feel safe and it's great to be able to ring people and ask how they are - not have them worried about me."

Moira Ahern (83) was born around the corner in the North Strand. She trained as a nurse in England but developed osteo-arthritis in her 30s and so worked erratically through her career and was never able to buy or rent her own home.

"Before I got a place here I was eight years in a Salvation Army hostel. I feel safe as anything here.

"I go out and about and get taxis, but I don't feel the need to too much, not when I have a lovely home here."