In August, in Dublin, Ireland, there were 1,275 homeless children among 607 families, up from 1,185 homeless children from 556 families in July, as MHProNews reported Sept. 15, 2015 in a story about housing the homeless. According to irishtimes, the week of Sept. 21 to Sept. 27, 2015 those numbers grew to 1,343 children in 637 families. Government statistics indicate the number in both categories has doubled since Sept., 2014.

Plans are for 400 units of modular housing to be sited to ease the large numbers of families now living in single hotel rooms. The first 22 units will be three-bedroom, two-story modular homes for five people, and should be ready for occupancy by mid-December. Plans are for another 128 units, all of which can be assembled on site in a few days, to follow soon after under a fast-tracked procurement process. The central government would then deliver the remaining 350 homes through a new national procurement framework.

In making the announcement, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly said the Dublin City Council will choose the site for the initial 22 modular dwellings after a meeting within the next ten days to go over the details of the project.

Concerns over the impact on families, especially children, of living in emergency accommodations have been raised by Focus Ireland, a charity that deals specifically with the homeless. Its chief executive, Ashley Balbirnie, noting the units would “provide a huge and much needed improvement in the quality of emergency accommodation,” said, “We still require urgent action on two fronts: prevention of homelessness and support for people to move back into a home of their own. At present there is no policy response from the Government to stop [family homelessness] from doubling in the next 12 months.” ##

(Photo credit: irishtimes/Nick Bradshaw–modular homes proposed for Dublin)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily Business News-MHProNews.