The Minister of State for Planning, John Cummins TD today welcomed the approval to use the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) to renovate St John’s Presbytery, a large vacant property in Waterford city centre and convert it into a centre for homeless women in a new pilot project expanding the RLS model to provide such accommodation.
The building will include nine apartments, six emergency units and a meeting room to provide support services to the residents. The Tinteán Housing Association will provide accommodation and services to up to 15 women experiencing homelessness in the renovated building. Work will commence shortly, and the building is expected to be available for occupation by April 2026.
Minister of State Cummins TD emphasised, “As a local TD, I am delighted to see this project which I have worked extensively on with all stakeholders move forward. When complete, it will provide supported accommodation for 15 women experiencing homelessness and enable Tinteán, an experienced homeless service provider, to work with these women towards their exit from homelessness.
“As well as providing a much-needed service to some of the most vulnerable in our city, the development will give new life to this historic building which has been vacant for many years and act as a catalyst for regeneration in this central location area of Waterford City.
“Indeed, the building will be ideal for the services to be provided. Within the setting of the Old Presbytery, Tinteán will be able to offer individual living quarters for the women who access their complex and medium support services, thus affording them the anonymity and personal space to focus on their individual and personalised programmes.
“Waterford has been to the fore in the delivery of homes under the Repair and Lease scheme with over 50% of the national total delivered in Waterford. This is a scheme which I have consistently championed, and I want to see Local Authorities nationally do more in this space.”
Minister Cummins welcomes approval for St John’s Presbytery in Waterford City to be renovated to provide accommodation for women experiencing homelessness. Photograph: Patrick Browne.
Helena Dennehy, Director of Services, Waterford City and County Council welcomed the confirmed funding approval from the Department for this pilot project expanding the Repair and Leasing model and building on the success of the scheme across Waterford to date.
“Waterford has a robust track record in delivering units under the Repair and Leasing scheme and we are looking forward to a continuing working relationship in the homeless areas with service providers Tinteán.”
The repair and leasing scheme (RLS) is a social housing leasing scheme which assists private property owners to bring vacant properties back into use. The local authority (LA) or an approved housing body (AHB) provides a loan of up to €80,000 per unit to a private property owner to bring a vacant property up to residential tenancy standards[1]. The refurbished units are then leased to the LA or AHB for between 5 and 25 years. The loan is recouped via an offset in the lease payment over an agreed term.
Funding of up to €80,000 per unit is available – in the St John’s Presbytery project, as 15 units will be provided, capital funding of €1,200,000 will be provided. This will be repaid over the lifetime of the lease as a reduction in the lease payment.
Waterford City and County Council has delivered the most units via RLS in the country, including 71 homes for older people in a former vacant convent, St Joseph’s House, Manor Hill, Waterford City.
This is a pilot project expanding the RLS model to provide homeless accommodation.
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