Focus Ireland received almost €200,000 in funding from Tipperary County Council in 2022

Focus Ireland received €194,221 from Tipperary County Council in 2022, according to a new report.

Under Income from Charitable Activities, the annual report for 2022 published by Focus Ireland this week shows €55,125 more was given by the local authority compared to in 2021.

The funding provided by Tipperary County Council was restricted which means it is subject to a specific uses.
Focus Ireland provides housing and supports people at risk of homelessness. For many of the charity’s projects they work in partnership with local authorities and state agencies.

In May 2022, Focus Ireland announced they had purchased 16 properties beside the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh. The report said:

“In May 2022, Focus Housing Association delivered 16 homes, a mixture of two-and three-bedrooms, in Nenagh, county Tipperary, converting tourist accommodation into permanent homes for families on Tipperary’s local authority housing waiting list.

“The 16 homes were acquired by Focusing Housing Association, following extensive refurbishment and with the support of Tipperary County Council, the Department of Housing, Planning, Local Government and Heritage and the Housing Finance Agency.”

According to the reports financial statements, the project was funded by a 30-year guarantee loan.

OTHER TIPPERARY PROJECTS

Also, in 2022, Focus Ireland started the refurbishment of Irish House in Tipperary Town. The project was nearing completion at the end of the year.

It was expected to be complete in quarter two of 2023 and will provide five one-bedroom and one studio apartments.

According to the annual report, Focus Ireland added a second housing officer to their management team to better support tenants in Tipperary, Kilkenny and Waterford.

In Tipperary, Kilkenny and Carlow, they supported 69 young people facing homelessness and 12 young people through Focus Ireland aftercare. Aftercare is a service that supports young people leaving state care. Focus Ireland says young people who age out of state care are at a higher risk of homelessness. Those who were under the care of Tusla Child and Family Agency for at least 12 months from age 13 are entitled to a needs assessment by Focus Ireland.

Finally, in May of this year, Focus Ireland opened The Haven in Clonmel.
The residential service is a collaboration with Tusla Child and Family Agency to support young people aged 16 and 17 seeking international protection.

GOALS

Nationally, Focus Ireland said they aimed to provide 250 new units either through acquisition or building in 2022.

However, due to factors including a cap on acquisitions and an ongoing review of the Department of Housing’s CALF (Capital Advance Leasing Facility) fundingModel, this goal had to be revised down.

According to the report, they did deliver 130 units consisting of 98 acquisitions, 31 leases and one donation.
But this was below the 170 units in 2021. Focus Ireland say they supported 30% more people at risk of homelessness in 2022.

In a statement on the release of the annual report, Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said:

“The number of people homeless shot up in 2022 by 27%, and our staff worked harder than ever to provide vital support for families and individuals who were homeless or at risk of losing their homes.

“Our Annual Report 2022 rightly acknowledges this life-changing work as Focus Ireland supported a record number of 16,000 people in 2022.

“This 30% rise from the previous year is due to many factors, which include new services and housing developed during the year. However, it is also very clear that the main reason for the rise is that more people than ever before are now homeless or at serious risk of losing their home.”

“Sadly, the crisis has continued to deepen again this year as now a record total of 12,847 people are homeless.

“Despite the increasing numbers, we must always remember that homelessness is not inevitable. There are some initiatives that could be taken now to help ease this crisis with the stroke of a pen.”

Focus Ireland are calling for a ‘fairer distribution’ of social housing which prioritises those who are homeless for long periods of time.