[ Cork City Council - Annual Report 2020 ]
Homeless Persons Unit
divide following the pandemic. Despite the constraints of COVID-19 the much needed refurbishment of the residents’ kitchen and laundry facilities were completed. Following the design and procurement process, work began on the kitchen in August 2020. The new design and layout created far more room, better integration of appliances and a dedicated seating area. The feedback from residents has been very positive, and it has been noticeable that more residents are cooking and using the kitchen on a regular basis and further developing their independent living skillsets. Asset Management
In March 2020, the Accommodation and Placement Service became fully operational in the bespoke office in Lapps Quay. This service offers skilled staff to work with clients to provide emergency accommodation and to assist in securing exits from Homelessness. Despite the restrictions in place due to COVID-19, there was no disruption to the service during the year. An indication of the impact this new service is having, can be seen in the reduction
in the number of families in emergency accommodation, from 50 in December 2019 to 28 in December 2020.
Cork Foyer & Bishopsgrove – COVID-19 Impact
Refurbishment of Vacant Properties Housing Unit Recovery
Cork Foyer is a unique homeless service that offers quality affordable accommodation with education and training to young adults in Cork at risk of homelessness. Cork Foyer provides 19 self-contained en-suite rooms, providing young people with the ability to develop crucial skills for independent living. The challenges presented by the global COVID-19 restrictions have been unprecedented and far- reaching. Many of the traditional education and work experience opportunities were no longer available. The most effective tool in keeping young people’s retention and maintaining access to learning throughout the pandemic has been online courses. However, this presented a massive challenge not only for residents but for their tutors too. With rapid investment into our communication systems at both the Cork Foyer and Bishopsgrove, adding to the funding received from the Council’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund, both services were able to supply the necessary equipment and online access. This was further enhanced by a small number of successful applications submitted directly to the colleges. Hopefully, these actions will help to reduce the possibility of our residents being on the wrong side of a digital
Under the July 2020 Stimulus Programme ¤4.2m in funding has been made available to Cork City Council for the refurbishment of 182 properties. An additional 50 vacant properties were refurbished during March and June specifically for COVID-19 related uses. In total in 2020, Housing Maintenance refurbished 250 vacant properties. The English Market
Property Management
A key highlight for the Property Section for 2020 was keeping Cork’s Iconic English Market and Coal Quay Food Market open and serving the people of Cork throughout the pandemic. The English Market is an important asset for Cork City Council on many levels - as a food market, a heritage building, a tourist destination, a commercial tenant, a city centre employer and ratepayer, a cultural venue, and as an economic contributor. But the English Market is, above all else, a food market for essential fresh produce and it has served the people of Cork in the face of famine, flood, war, and multiple recessions since 1788.
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