New residents Kevin and Louise Warren, with their daughter Caitlin (10). Source: Colm Mahady/Fennells

ELEVEN FAMILIES AND individuals received the keys to their new homes as part of a cooperative housing scheme in Ballymun in Dublin, today.

There are now 28 homes occupied in the Baile na Laochra housing development, which was designed by the Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance.

Residents live alongside social and private tenants, all sharing common amenities.

An additional 21 homes will become occupied before the end of the year. Ó Cualann is expected to soon commence building an additional 39 homes, 28 houses and 11 apartments in Ballymun with the support of Dublin City Council.

There are currently close to 10,000 homeless people in Ireland, with Dublin being the worst affected area. Many campaigners have put an emphasis on the need to build more housing, and criticised delays in this regard.

New resident Liam Hackett (left) with Bill Black, Co-Founder of Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance, Lord Mayor of Dublin Nial Ring and Minister of State for Housing and Planning Damien English. Source: Colm Mahady/Fennells

Speaking today, Hugh Brennan, CEO of Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance CLG, said the lack of affordable homes in Dublin is at “epidemic level”.

This is a small push to help resolve this problem. But a home is more than four walls, and we have already seen a cohesive community develop since the first families moved into Baile na Laochra.

Dublin’s Lord Mayor Nial Ring said he hoped that this type of affordable housing will be “replicated and scaled all around the city”.

“Land should be seen as a resource for schemes like this and not as a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder,” he added.