Building begins at Edel House
A two year construction project has begun at Edel House, the emergency shelter for women and children on Grattan Street in Cork city.
Edel House, which is run by Good Shepherd Cork, has been given just over €7.5m from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the build which is due to be complete in April 2021.
The refurbished Edel House will provide residents with appropriate facilities and a more dignified environment, Good Shepherd Cork has said.
Chairperson of Good Shepherd Cork, Brendan Lenihan, said: “The re-development of Edel House is urgently needed. The shelter has been operating at full capacity for several years and we simply do not have the facilities to meet the needs of residents.
“The re-development of Edel House and the opening of Redclyffe represent a significant expansion of our services, a major investment of government funding and an opportunity for us to provide women, children and families who are homeless in Cork with a more dignified environment, whilst recognising that no child should have to grow up in emergency accommodation.”
An Táinste Simon Coveney visited Edel House this week as well as Redclyffe, the family hub service of Good Shepherd Cork which opened in 2018 and is operated on behalf of Cork City Council.
He said: “I am very pleased to have this opportunity to visit Good Shepherd Cork to view progress and plans for the re-development of Edel House and to visit Redclyffe, Cork’s only family hub. During my visit I had the opportunity to learn more about both services and to hear from residents and staff about the experience of homelessness in Cork city.”
Good Shepherd Cork worked with over 800 women and children last year.
Its CEO, Allison Aldred, said: “The homelessness crisis in Ireland is largely a crisis of families - a third of those living in emergency accommodation in Cork are children. We are at full capacity, currently housing over 100 people in Edel House and Redclyffe and see every day the huge stresses that homelessness brings to women, children and families in our community.”