Dublin City Council is planning to convert abandoned buildings into affordable cost rental homes for essential workers, Dublin Mayor Ray McAdam has announced.
The initiative aims to address housing shortages while tackling the problem of vacant buildings in the city centre. McAdam revealed he wants to broaden the definition of essential workers to include supermarket workers alongside traditionally recognized professions such as gardaí, teachers and nurses. He said he would discuss this expanded definition with the Department of Housing and Department of Local Government.
The announcement follows Dublin City Council’s unanimous approval of a plan to build 25,000 new housing units on rezoned land by 2032, in addition to 49,000 homes already on zoned land.
Major Development Sites
The majority of units in the new plan will be built on industrial estates in Kylemore and Glasnevin, where 13,800 homes are planned. The cost rental scheme for essential workers will initially be implemented on North Frederick Street and Middle Abbey Street, with the pilot beginning on North Frederick Street.
If successful, the council intends to expand the scheme to other city centre areas. The regeneration initiative aims to transform vacant and underutilized buildings into cost rental homes while strengthening the public realm and revitalizing streets.
Addressing Vacant Properties
McAdam noted that vacant buildings have become hotbeds of anti-social behaviour in Dublin. Converting these properties into residential units would both provide housing and address public order issues.
The mayor, a Fine Gael councillor, emphasized the importance of recognizing supermarket workers and others who maintained supply chains during the Covid-19 pandemic as essential workers deserving housing support alongside traditional public service professions.
The scheme represents an attempt to use underutilized urban real estate for housing purposes while supporting workers critical to Dublin’s daily operations and services.