Clare County Council says a new homeless hub in Ennis will open by the end of the year.
The long-planned facility will act as transitional accommodation for families who find themselves without a home, but has gotten a mixed reaction.
The new homeless hub would see accommodation units provided for families in Clare who are currently living in hotel or B&B situations.
It’s hoped that it will see a more family friendly environment provided to those who need it, to act as a bridge between emergency accommodation and social housing.
The building will be located in Ennis and Clare County Council’s Director of Social Development Liam Conneally outlines where the project is at right now.
The Chair of the Council’s Social Development Committee, which deals with housing, and has welcomed the move and hopes it will make some dent in the number of people without a home in this county.
Latest figures from the Department of Housing show that at the end of January, there were 60 people in Clare living in emergency accommodation.
The number of children in the Mid West without a permanent home has also nearly tripled in the past year.
However, not everyone is pleased with the news of the development.
Ennis man Dermot Hayes is another member of the council’s Social Development Committee.
He says the homeless hub is a start but he’s calling on the local representatives to push for more funding to begin rapid building of homes.
