Young homeless scheme set for summer start-up

South Circular Road-based project will provide homeless with training and housing

By Jenni Duggan

A NEW one-million-pound housing and education scheme for Dublin’s south-city homeless looks set to kick off this summer on the South Circular Road.

The scheme, known as the Foyer Project, was billed in the Budget before Christmas as "an innovative training and hostel scheme to help homeless young people".

CARA Ireland, St Catherine’s Community Group and Dublin Corporation are involved in setting up the project. They will draw down the £1 million from the Department of the Environment in stages.

According to Sean Griffen of CARA, "The project will involve a combination of education, training and residential elements." It will help 18 to 25 year olds who are homeless or ineligible for local authority housing.

A site has been acquired at the Player-Wills factory on the South Circular Road. It is hoped that building will be completed within two years. Trevor Jones of CARA described the planned housing facilities as "self-contained flats."

The finished building will include facilities for a number of activities, including a gymnasium, a pool room and computer facilities.

Training will be an integral part of the scheme. The scheme aims "to prepare young people for employment and independent living", according to Trevor Jones.

CARA hopes the scheme will "break the link between homelessness and unemployment for many young people". The training provided in the centre will be mostly in the area of computer technology and will be aimed at helping participants to secure good employment.

Integration with the local community will be "actively encouraged" The project will provide facilities for the surrounding community, among them a community hall, a children’s play area and crèche facilities. St. Catherine’s Community Centre is involved in planning of these facilities.

The British Minister for Housing, Hilary Armstrong, attended a meeting in the Mansion House last Thursday, February 18, at which details of the project were outlined.

Minister Armstrong was enthusiastic about the Irish Foyer project, saying she believes such initiatives to be a "good way of tackling the problems the most vulnerable are facing".

Her visit is part of a drive by both the Irish and British governments towards better relations between the two countries.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Joe Doyle, also spoke at the reception. He said he hopes the Foyer project "will play a crucial role in providing much-needed good quality accommodation".

Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, allocated £1 million towards the project. This money will not, however, be sufficient, as it is estimated the scheme will cost up to three times that to set up, according to CARA.