A resident in the Great Northern Haven in Barrack St. has spoke out at the feeling of abandonment felt by the majority of the people living in the apartment complex. A resident recently contacted the Dundalk Leader claiming that the Resident Housing Officer only met with them twice in total in 2024 and has yet to meet with them thus far this year.
“To be perfectly honest the general feeling down here is that we’ve been abandoned,” stated the tenant. “There are 16 apartments down here and we are all paying €20 a week. That equates to roughly €17k a year. Last year we had two visits from the Residential Housing Officer which in my mind equates to him getting paid €8.5k per visit. There are a number of issues down here that we would like to get resolved and for me I think that the Resident Housing officer should be meeting up with us at least once a month and listening to our concerns and any issues that we might raise.
“For instance there is a pathway around the back of the complex which is now covered in moss which has become very damp and slippy. As you know, all the residents down here are elderly and tenants have just stopped walking on the footpath now for fear of falling and injuring themselves. There is also an issue with the TV signal in the apartments which means we don’t have access to the vast majority of stations.
“We used to have classes down here such as art, tai chi etc but that has all gone now. Cluid/Clann are getting €17k from us down here to provide services and that simply isn’t happening. It’s been 5 and a half months since we have seen our Resident Housing Officer. As I said before it feels like we’ve been abandoned and it goes against everything what this complex was supposed to be about when it first opened up fifteen years ago,” stated the tenant.
The Great Northern Haven on Barrack Street was officially opened amid much fanfare in 2010 and was showcased as a demonstration housing project consisting of 16 purpose-built smart homes which allow older people live longer independently.
Each apartment is equipped with a combination of sensor and interactive technology to support older people to ensure energy eficiency and a fall detection system for residents.
It is a unique collaboration between the Louth Local Authorities, local Health Service Executive, industry partners, research and development and the older residents. In recent years the day to day management of the complex has been taking over by Clann Housing which is Clúid’s dedicated age-friendly housing service for people over 55.
The Dundalk Leader asked Clúid to respond to the allegations of abandonment by tenants in the Great Northern Haven and they issued the following response.
“Thank you for your enquiry. The Resident Housing Officer is regularly on-site at Great Northern Haven, though it is certainly possible that individual residents may not be aware of their presence during every visit. In addition to these regular visits to the scheme, the Resident Housing Officer organises and attends regular social events for the residents of Great North Haven, including a Christmas lunch and regular coffee mornings. Two coffee mornings have taken place in Great Northern Haven this year, with another happening this week. They provide residents with an opportunity to socialise with their neighbours, as well as discuss concerns or suggestions with their Resident Housing Officer and their community.
“Clúid, and Clann our age-friendly offering, recognise the need for Resident Housing Officers to be flexible with their time on-site and must occasionally prioritise visiting certain schemes where residents require additional support, for instance new schemes where residents and moving in and might have more questions. Our vision is a society where everyone has a great place to live, so if residents require support or have noticed issues in their home or scheme that need to be addressed, they can contact their Resident Housing Officer Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm by calling or emailing our Resident Advice Centre, or using the webchat on our website. Clúid also operates an out of hours service for emergencies.
“A programme of external works has just been completed at Great North Haven, including painting, hedge trimming and garden maintenance, following feedback from residents. An additional issue regarding the television is currently being addressed. An issue with moss has not been reported to Clúid by any residents via the available channels (in-person with the Resident Housing Officer or to the Resident Advice Centre via phone, email or webchat),” concluded the statement.
