(Editor’s Note: The below is an opinion piece and represents solely the author’s opinion)
The residents of James Street/Kilmainham have done such a good job dealing with the five local homeless hostels/wet houses that the powers that be, have decided to gift them with another three.
The first of these proposed magnificent structures is to be a purpose built unit on Kilmainham around the corner from Kilmainham Jail. That will be nice and handy for the tourists (oops), I mean homeless. The second of these proposed Mecca’s is to go beside and over the Mace store on James Street, across the road from the church where the proposed new Alltech Whiskey Distillery is to be established. Finally, what was the Jam Factory at the cross roads of James Street and Bow Lane will also be getting its own homeless b and b.
It seems that I or anyone else who wants to live on James Street would be far better off becoming homeless and letting one of these organizations put a roof over our heads. To be honest, as a resident of James Street I’m not sure why I’m even paying rent anymore, it would appear there are more homeless shelters on the street now than homes!
At this stage there are 12 such services in close proximity to each other in the Dublin 8 area, we are becoming saturated.
By next year the residents of James Street and almost one million tourists will receive the joy of being approached by more alcohol fuelled; drug-induced extras from the TV show the Walking Dead. All within a five minute walk of the largest tourist attraction in the country, Guinness (EST; 740,000 per annum).
Language barriers shouldn’t be a problem for our new neighbors, as they seem to be able to extract cash from tourists no matter what part of the world they come from.
What a great memory for these tourists to take back home with them along with their inflatable shamrocks and their Guinness T-shirts.
The issue here isn’t the need for such services but the need to redistribute them, why is one area of the city being placed in such an untenable position? If an addict or and alcoholic needs to recover, or a vulnerable person who’s just been forced onto the street, how are they going to get the help they need surrounded by others in the exact same situation. Temptation makes the thief. Any chance of a bit of sense in planning for these services?
That new one above the MACE is only in the planning permission phase and the planning permission is being sought by Simon Community.
There’s also the Jam Factory, which you haven’t mentioned, that too has received planning permission since 2009 (recently extended) and is also to be run by Simon Community.
So, you can make that 5 + 3 more…. instead of 5 + 2.
The people of Jamse’street can not believe the Simon community have applied for planning permission for 45/47 Jamse’stree including myself,
There is already 3 homeless facilities on Jamse’stree and it now looks like a 4th one not the way please stand up for Jamse’stree and put a stop to it.
Wh have thousands of tourists passing through the area everyday and we also have lots of children in the area looking at things they shouldn’t be looking at.
Enough is enough stand up and be counted for don’t let this happen.
AgreePat McCann, James street and the community have already accepted their fare share of homeless shelters and rehab housing without being totally taken for granted and used as mugs that will just accept any amoutlnt of these shacks being landed on your door step..
This piece and the comments that followed accurately represent the deep frustration of most residents in the area. The situation has become intolerable and needs to be dealt with before the area is destroyed.
It should also be pointed out that the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2015 specifically refers to this issue but is clearly being ignored – see excerpts below and http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-planning/city-development-plan.
……An over-concentration of institutional accommodation can have an undue impact on residential communities and on the inner city in particular. A co-ordinated approach to the provision and management of these facilities as well as their spread across the city is important (p.165)
……Hostels for the care of people, such as, homeless
hostels will not be allowed in areas where there is an over concentration of such facilities such as parts of the north inner city and south west inner city in Dublin 1, 7 and 8. (p.193)
Apologies….The Dublin city Development Plan is 2011-2017 (not 2011-2015 as stated in my previous comment)