Dublin City Council has pulled a €20 million contract to build modular homes, because of a ‘lack of interest’.
The plans to build the pre-fab style accommodation were announced last June, with the council revealing the five sites – Poppintree in Ballymun, Mourne Road in Crumlin, Belcamp Avenue in Coolock, St Helena’s Drive in Finglas and Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot – as they intended to locate the homes.
Authorities now say they have decided to rescind the contract after claiming there were ‘insufficient’ applications to build the temporary homes which were planned to help homeless families struggling during the current housing crisis.
While a development of 22 prefabs in Ballymun are due to be ready next week, a tender will now need to be reissued to find a builder for the other 131 units.
Releasing a statement in response to the council’s decision, homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry relayed his confusion and disappointment at the continued delay to provide much-needed shelter:
“I am very surprised to be honest. I am very disappointed for those families who could have swapped a hotel bedroom for a lovely modular home.
Six or nine months ago when these homes were on display there was great interest from the contractors. One of them told me he could produce ten of these modular homes every day.
Providing them now is going to be just as slow as building houses.”
