New Habitat Homeowner Receives Key to her New Home
For immediate release: 30th August 2016
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A new Habitat for Humanity Ireland homeowner today received the keys to her new home at a dedication ceremony attended by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr.
Stella Kelleher is now moving into her newly renovated one-bed cottage in Dublin 8. Stella is paying a small mortgage on the home and will come off the ever-growing Dublin City Council housing waiting list.
The house was previously a derelict Dublin City Council property. Renovation work was completed with the support of Habitat for Humanity Ireland’s donors and volunteers, both individual and corporate, which helped to keep the home affordable.
“I am honoured to be a part of this joyous occasion. It is wonderful to meet Stella and to celebrate this new home. This is an inspiring project that will provide Stella with the foundations for a brighter and healthier future. Habitat for Humanity Ireland, Dublin City Council, volunteers, donors and Stella have done tremendous work together to transform this derelict property into a home that will last generations. I commend everyone involved,” said Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr.
“Collaborative projects like Habitat for Humanity Ireland’s not only give a hand-up to families and individuals, but also help build community spirit, promote inclusion, and encourage wider community regeneration. The model is a practical example of how local authorities, civil society, the private sector and individuals can work to address the urgent, growing housing need in Dublin. I hope that this partnership continues and is developed for years to come,” said the Lord Mayor.
Before getting the keys to her new home, Stella Kelleher lived with her parents, brother and two sisters. Stella has been on the Dublin City Council Housing Waiting list for over 3 years. She is single and has worked as a beautician for years with the hope of being able to purchase a home of her own. But with a lack of affordable houses in Dublin, this was just wasn’t an option. Living in her parents’ home was not ideal as the house was cramped, with grandchildren and other family members staying regularly. Not having a home of her own caused Stella a lot of stress and made her fearful of the future.
“Home Dedication Ceremonies are always joyous occasions that symbolise hope and new beginnings. Today we celebrate not only Stella’s new home, but her commitment and hard work, and the incredible support from everyone involved. In this home, you find the work and dedication of so many people, all working with a common goal: helping communities to build strength, stability and independence. Stella now has the peace of mind and security she needs to begin the next chapter of her life. We are very grateful for the incredible ongoing support of our volunteers, donors and partners who have collaborated on this project, in particular Dublin City Council,” said Vinnie Cunningham, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Ireland.
“This year, Habitat for Humanity celebrates 40 years of helping people like Stella improve their housing situation. Decent shelter is something we all need in order to thrive, and the years have shown us again and again what a strong foundation a home can be for a person. Once people have a healthy, safe, durable place to live, they can focus on finding better jobs, pursuing educational opportunities, and helping their community grow stronger,” concluded Vinnie Cunningham, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Ireland.
Further information, including details on how to apply to become a homeowner, can be found on the Habitat for Humanity Ireland website: www.habitatireland.ie or telephone 01 531 0033.
For further information please contact: Anna Smith, Communications Manager, E-mail: anna.smith@habitatireland.ie, Telephone: +353 86 081 8456
Notes to editor
Habitat for Humanity’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Its work is based on the conviction that access to simple, decent housing provides a ‘hand-up’ for families to lift themselves out of poverty and create a brighter future for their children.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped 6.8 million people to improve their housing conditions. It works in Ireland and 70 countries around the world.
Habitat for Humanity Ireland fundraises to support the global mission and sends volunteers overseas to build homes in partnership with local families. There is also a local renovation programme in Dublin which partners with Dublin City Council and with other charities to increase access to simple, decent housing for low-income families and vulnerable groups.
Habitat for Humanity Ireland gratefully acknowledges the support of its corporate partners in this project: Salesforce, SAP, JPMorgan, The Law Society of Ireland, Wells Fargo, Brown Brothers Harriman, SanDisk.
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Homeowner Story
Stella Kelleher has been on the Dublin City Council Housing Waiting list for over 3 years.
Stella is single and has worked as a beautician for years with the hope of being able to purchase a home of her own. But with the lack of affordable houses in Dublin, this just wasn’t an option.
Stella was born and raised in the Liberties, and comes from a large family of 8. Before becoming a Habitat homeowner, Stella lived with her parents, brother and two sisters for 9 years in Harold’s Cross. This situation was not ideal as the house was cramped, with grandchildren and other family members staying regularly. Not having a home of her own caused Stella a lot of stress and made her fearful of the future.
Stella is currently finishing off her ‘sweat equity’ to the property, has come off the growing housing waiting list, and is paying a small mortgage. Thanks to a lot of hard work and the support of our donors and volunteers, Stella now has a safe and decent place to call home. This new home will offer Stella a brighter, healthier and happier future; the space and security to begin planning for tomorrow.
“If it wasn’t for the hand-up from Habitat for Humanity, I’d still be living with my parents, hoping that one day I’d be able to afford my own home. When I first got the news that I was definitely going to have a new home, I was so happy I cried. Then, I laughed. I was overcome with emotion. That night, I jumped out of bed and thought it was a dream. I can’t believe I finally have a place to call my own – to call home,” said Stella.
“Family means a lot to me – they are the most important people in my life. But I need my own space. The best thing about having a home of my own is the independence and freedom. I will be happier and more comfortable here. I get to stay in the community I grew up in – which is really important to me. I also like that the sweat equity lets me put my own stamp on it. It makes me feel more a part of it and proud of my new home,” said Stella.
“It is a pity that this home was derelict before the renovation works began. There are so many people in need of a home around the country. But, I think it’s fabulous that volunteers gave their time and money to help turn this derelict house into a home. The fact that so many people helped out makes this house even more homely,” said Stella.
“I want to say thank you to all the Habitat supporters – who did and are doing an amazing job. You really are making a difference. I have realised that there are so many good people in the world willing to help out, without wanting anything in return. I will definitely continue helping Habitat out in the future,” said Stella.
Application Requirements for Homeownership Scheme
There are three main criteria that people need to meet in order to be considered as suitable applicants to becoming homeowners with Habitat Ireland. These are:
Need – Applications must be in need of a home, and registered on the Dublin City Council (DCC) Housing List.
Ability to re-pay an affordable mortgage – Habitat Homeowners are expected to be able to repay a mortgage. The programme is a “Hand up, not a Hand out”.
Willingness to partner with Habitat and contribute “sweat equity” volunteer hours into the home – Habitat keeps the cost of the houses for the homeowners down by using volunteer workers where possible and donations of gift in kind and building materials on our projects.