Housing services centre opens in Carlow town
At the launch of the new housing services hub at No 6-8 Staplestown Road in Carlow were Patrick Connaughton, PJ Leonard, Fiona O’Neill (Carlow County Council), cllrs John Pender, Paul Doogue, Fergal Browne (cathaoirleach, Carlow County Council), Fintan Phelan (mayor of Carlow), Andrea Dalton, Coilín O’Reilly (chief executive, Carlow County Council), Cllr Ken Murnane, Rachel Dowling, Niall Carroll and Tadhg Madden (Carlow County Council) and Fiona O’Neill Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie
CARLOW County Council has officially opened a new housing services centre in Carlow town, acting as a centralised access point for a wide range of housing-related services.
The new Housing Services Hub at 6 to 8 Staplestown Road, Carlow is now open to the public following its launch on Monday 12 May.
The local authority’s housing department moved to the council’s civic offices in Tullow some years ago, which led to some criticism about accessibility, given that the vast majority of council tenants and those availing of housing services are based in the larger urban area of Carlow town.
This new facility, therefore, marks a significant advance in the council’s ongoing efforts to enhance and expand housing support services in Carlow town.
The hub will act as a centralised access point for a wide range of housing-related services, with a strong focus on delivering person-centred, accessible and efficient support for all in need of housing assistance. The hub is also designed to provide on-site wraparound services, including tenancy support and housing advice to homeless persons.
In addition to homeless supports, the new hub will provide in-person access to a suite of essential housing information services for individuals engaging with Carlow County Council’s Housing Department, which remains based in Tullow.
Among the services offered are housing application support, housing maintenance queries, Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), estate management services, housing adaptation and grants support.
“This new Housing Services Hub is an essential development in our efforts to provide timely and effective customer service for people in Carlow and demonstrates the council’s strong commitment to the provision of service delivery,” said cllr Fergal Browne, cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council.
Mayor of Carlow Municipal District cllr Fintan Phelan also praised the initiative. “The creation of this hub is a positive step forward in supporting the housing services for people in the community. By bringing these services to Carlow town, we are ensuring that people have a convenient point of contact through the provision of a central point of access for housing information.” Chief executive of Carlow County Council Coilín O’Reilly added: “This facility clearly demonstrates Carlow County Council’s strategic approach to housing – one that proactively responds to the growing need for timely, accessible services and clear information to support individuals and families seeking housing assistance and supports.” The housing hub is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (closed 1pm to 2pm).
Contact details:
Housing maintenance: housingmaintenance@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9136296 Homeless services: homeless@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9170496/out of hours 059 9135229 Housing Assistant Payments (HAP): hap@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9170244 Applications: housingapplication@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9170364/059 9170368 Estate management: estatemanagement@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9172496/059 9170364 Grants: housinggrants@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9170358 Rents: housingrents@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9136210 Loans: loanapplications@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9170362 Rental Accommodation Scheme: ras@carlowcoco.ie, 059 9170370
