Growth

At the beginning of the new century, the outlook for the Trust, in keeping with the mood in the country generally was positive and ambitious.

Over the next twenty years the Trust would undergo a phase of significant expansion establishing new communities outside of its traditional heartland in Swords, Clongriffin, Ballyfermot and Leopardstown. In addition, a further 58 homes were added to Kevin Street, 61 at Mount Anthony and a major renovation and restoration of the Bull Alley Estate was completed.

In total, over 650 homes were added to the Iveagh Trust’s housing stock.

Kevin Street

As government funding for the provision of new social housing became more accessible, Trustees saw the opportunity to deal with the need to replace the roofs on blocks S-Z on the Kevin Street Estate. Planning permission was granted and work began in the summer of 2000 to construct a mansard roof containing 45 one-bedroom apartments. An additional floor would later be added to blocks O, P, Q and R providing a further 13 homes at Kevin Street, bringing the total number of homes there to 474.

This set the tone, and over the next few years the Trust embarked upon a period of significant new property development and refurbishment work.

Swords, Clongriffin & Cork Street

The Trust’s scheme at Applewood in Swords opened in June 2005, providing a further 109 homes – its first venture outside of the Dublin City Council area. Development at Clongriffin followed with the addition of 129 homes, 74 owned by the Trust and 55 managed on behalf of Dublin City Council from 2006 to 2008. Closer to the city centre, the Trust delivered its own design and build development at Cork Street, Dublin 8 – Elveden House, providing 50 homes. The scheme was officially opened in the Autumn of 2010.

Bull Alley

A major scheme to completely renovate and restore the Bull Alley Estate got underway from 2005. The 7-year programme would cost almost €16m and renew almost every element of the scheme. The vast majority of flats were refurbished with new kitchens, electrical upgrades and heating systems, in addition to major works to restore the roof, windows and communal areas – all carried out while residents continued to live there. The work was completed without incident, a testament to the skill of the contractor, the Trust’s staff and the forbearance of the Bull Alley residents.

Mount Anthony

Mount Anthony also saw extensive modernisation and expansion from the early 2000s, culminating in the addition of 61 new homes in 2011, through a combination of new-build, refurbishment and amalgamation of smaller dwellings. Securing finance for the development presented serious challenges. The traditional Government capital funding schemes for voluntary housing bodies had all but collapsed following the financial crash of 2008. Tenants had been decanted to facilitate development and construction was underway but neither the State or private institutions were willing to lend.

Ultimately the Trust proposed an innovative leasing model to Dublin City Council whereby the council would make an availability payment to the Trust for every unit, and in return, the Trust would make that unit available to applicants from the council’s housing list. The revenue from the council would be used to re-pay the bank loan and on that basis the bank was willing to lend the development finance to the Iveagh Trust.

This was the first scheme to be financed using such a model – what would later become known as the Payment and Availability Agreement – and now the mainstay for funding the delivery of social housing in Ireland.

Annamore Court

The Iveagh Trust first approached Dublin City Council in 2010 with a proposal to completely redevelop a derelict site of 38 bedsit type units, known as Canon Troy Court in Ballyfermot.

The Trust planned to double the number of homes on the site creating a new supported housing scheme for older people. Located adjacent to the established community in Ballyfermot, the scheme would also offer significant potential to provide locals with an opportunity to rightsize, freeing up larger under-occupied homes for families. Securing agreement, finance and planning took quite some time. Construction finally got underway in December 2015 and the €10m development of 70 new homes opened in June 2017. Renamed Annamore Court, all homes are wheelchair accessible while two apartments are specifically adapted for wheelchair users and include accommodation for overnight carers. Sixteen of the new residents at Annamore opted to rightsize, freeing up larger properties in the area for families on the housing waiting list.

Leopardstown & Clongriffin

2019 saw the addition of two substantial new housing schemes, providing 68 new homes at Clay Farm in Leopardstown and 84 new homes in a significant expansion of the Trust’s presence at Clongriffin. Both schemes were acquired by the Iveagh Trust under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts in conjunction with our partners in the Local Authorities, the Department of Housing and the Housing Finance Agency.

As we begin a new decade, the Iveagh Trust's strategy plans to add a further 400 new homes by 2023.

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