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Could one of these six homes be the answer to the homeless crisis?

The four Dublin local authorities have opened a demonstration of modular housing.

AT THE END of last month more than 600 families were housed in either hotels or homeless accommodation.

That includes 1,275 children.

This figure has been creeping up each month this year, with €4.5 million being spent by Dublin’s local authorities to prevent families sleeping rough.

The policies being used now have been branded ‘unsustainable’, so could a form of quick, cheap, but high quality and comfortable housing be the answer?

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Yesterday the four councils – Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin – launched what they are calling called a “conversation” on modular housing, with a demonstration of six homes produced by six different Irish companies, inviting stakeholders such as NGOs and councillors to take a look around.

Modular homes can take a number of different forms, but are based around the principle of ‘stacking’ individual modules together to form a house. This means they can be produced off-site in factory conditions, and quickly assembled on-site.

Speaking to reporters, director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive Cathal Morgan said that when people first hear of modular housing, they might think of portable cabins out the back of a school.

“The industry has moved on light years,” he said.

Hotel rooms

Morgan noted that this form of housing provides better quality and is more cost effective than putting families and individuals in hotels, and allows a family unit to maintain a sense of normality “as opposed to being stuck in a single hotel room”.

Unused units could even be turned into student accommodation.

Speed is of the essence, he believes, with a hope that modular housing units could be rolled out as soon as mid-2016 if the project gets the go-ahead.

4/12/2014 Forums on Homelessness Crisis Cathal Morgan (right), pictured here with Dublin City Council chief executive Owen Keegan. Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

It will face obstacles, such as finding suitable locations to house a small number of homes together, getting local communities on board, and ensuring an ‘exit strategy’ is in place to allow people to move on to more permanent housing.

And this will all cost money.

The council will be unable to place a cost on these units until the tendering process is complete.

It will depend on a range of factors, from the size and the number of storeys to the quality of fixtures.

However, Morgan gave a rough estimation that the more than €4 million spent on temporary accommodation for the first six months of this year could have been spent on hundreds of modular housing units.

Here’s a quick look at the six homes on show in East Wall on Dublin’s northside.

Skyclad set up a unit that on the surface looks like a traditional bungalow.

IMG_6311 Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

This bones of this unit was set up two days after arriving off the truck, and a few more days to put on the finishing touches.

IMG_6247 Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

Like other modular homes, some of the final touches were lightning fast; the wood flooring was laid within two hours, and the fittings took less than two hours.

IMG_6246 Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

Another traditional unit – complete with a house name as gaeilge – was by Mom Services Ltd.

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This model was an 80 meter square two-bedroom model.

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It showed off the capability to install a disabled bathroom.

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Portakabin’s offering was more in line with what people might expect a modular home to look like.

IMG_6304 Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie Nicky Ryan / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

But inside it was a lot more comfortable than your usual portable cabin.

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There was even a small patio area outside

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Two ‘blocks’ of Spacebox’s demo – seen on either side of the centre module here – were lived in previously in the Netherlands.

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Uniquely the cooker and sink were in a self-contained unit that could be replaced if needed.

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Here’s a model of how the house slots together.

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Once off the truck Roankabin, was up in three days.

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Once the flooring was in, the worktops followed and the electrics and plumbing finalised.

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Most rooms in the modular homes on display could be set up in several bedroom configurations.

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The unit on display from the aptly named Modular Homes Ireland was, like many of the others, bright and airy.

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One half of the model housed the kitchen and living areas (with another seating area out of shot).

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The other half contained bedrooms and a bathroom that wouldn’t be out of a place in a traditional bricks-and-mortar home.

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Tom Teatum, a London-based architect who has been working with the four city councils on this demonstration, believes this could be one of the first examples of local authorities working to use modular housing as a solution to a housing those in need of emergency accommodation.

He explained that modular housing has been mostly developed in the area of student accommodation:

We’re now seeing a transfer across into the affordable housing market [...] and those finding it difficult to access housing.

Teatum said that the “team approach” the four Dublin councils are attempting to take is key, where the various stakeholders – the local authority, the architects, the manufacturers – are all brought in at very early stages.

Once off the ground, he believes most manufacturers on display could produce ten units within six to twelve weeks. The time saved compared to traditional building is “significant”, Teatum said.

Now take a look at some of these homes being constructed.

Acmhainní Teoranta / YouTube

Read: The shipping container house that was built in three days over the weekend >

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90 Comments
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    Mute Essor
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:33 PM

    RIP. Risked his life so we could see the war crimes being committed by Putin

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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:41 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: I suppose it was the journalists shooting at unarmed Russian soldiers then? Go back to sleep.

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    Mute HunWithACause✊
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:43 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: are you going over to fight for Russia yeah?

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    Mute Juniper
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:44 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: In the west, we get to see both sides and make up our mind what’s really happening. In Russia, there is only the line that they are on a liberation mission to free Ukraine from fascists. It is pretty clear that Russia’s line is – as Trump would call it – using alternative facts.

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    Mute Monty Donotno
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:44 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: perhaps you should move to Russia to explore further your neutral view of their behavior.

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    Mute Ronnie Mhelan
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:48 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: I mean, Russia invaded Ukraine and are now targeting civilians right? You’re not disputing that fact are you?

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    Mute Shane McGrath
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:48 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: Get stuffed. There is one side to this.

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    Mute Niall O'Reilly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:30 PM

    Brave are the journalists who enter those conflict zones to ensure truth and evidence is sought for the rest of us armchair critics. Well done Dan. Condolences to your family and friends. May you Rest In Peace.

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:37 PM

    @Niall O’Reilly: yes it’s very sad. Everyone is at risk in a war zone. I remember also the journalists machine gunned by the American attack helicopter during the illegal occupation of Iraq. If I recall correctly they then shot up a van with kids inside who tried to help the gunned down journalists. I think it’s always important to remember that it is the dehumanising of other people that makes it easier for soldiers to kill them and also that killing can be done far beyond the range that a press badge can be seen.

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Mar 13th 2022, 6:31 PM

    @Ivan Connolly: That clip is still available on YouTube but the journalist who exposed the crime is in a British prison on orders from the US, without charge or trial – Julian Assange.

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 7:04 PM

    @Willie Penwright: indeed which I think emphasises Stephen Murphys comment above which now seems to have been removed. It appears only one point of view is allowed here as well as Russia. But his comment was correct. Propaganda exists on all sides as do atrocities committed against civilian populations but for the most part the western media doesn’t seem to call those committed by the west, war crimes. The reality is that all powerful countries do as they want and as far as they are concerned, might is right and their respective media only ever see their side as righteous and the other as war criminals.

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    Mute C_O'S
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:43 PM

    Such a handsome guy to have his life taken away by the Russian enemy….. RIP Brett, And condolences to his family and friends back home in the states who will be mourning his tragic death.

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    Mute Colm O' Shea
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:58 PM

    @C_O’S: his looks add or take away nothing from the situation. Agree with everything else you said

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    Mute Genera L Consensus
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:48 PM

    Shot in the head by a sniper so no accident, what will the US do to protect its citizens?

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    Mute Dan Broderick
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:16 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: tell them to stay out of a warzone! He wasn’t there in an official capacity so there is more to this story than any of us will ever know.
    This is absolutely not a black and white, good vs evil situation.

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:19 PM

    @Dan Broderick: go join your buddy Stephen Murphy

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:23 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: They’ve tried to protect them already by suggesting they leave/do not travel to Ukraine. War corresponding is a dangerous gig, it’s why these guys get paid big bucks. One oddity in the story is that he was employed by NYT, was wearing NYT I.D. badge, but NYT were very quick to point out he wasn’t in Ukraine on NYT’s behalf.

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    Mute Sean Higgins
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:41 PM

    @Tommy Roche: freelancing ?

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    Mute Deirdre
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:03 PM

    @Tommy Roche: im sure there is insurance on these guys, when on assignment, could be a reason to say out loud not on assignment, so no insurance payout. Or they are scared of Putin.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:28 PM

    @Deirdre: Ok.

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    Mute Essor
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:22 PM

    @Dan Broderick: he was filming a documentary refugees as an independent journalist. Get back in your box

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    Mute Essor
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:23 PM

    @Essor: *on refugees

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:39 PM

    @Jonathan O’Riordan: ah such an erudite response. How fine you must look in your black shirt.

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    Mute Gavin Mckenna
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    Mar 13th 2022, 5:33 PM

    @Dan Broderick: Awful, rest in peace. Just couldnt do a simple RIP no? Another tin foiler convinced there’s something more when there’s not. Disgraceful.

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    Mute Mike Dunne
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    Mar 13th 2022, 6:43 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: Nothing, with Biden in charge.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:59 AM

    @Dan Broderick: Evidence please and do you believe that the Funky Gibbon is still the American president

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:00 AM

    @Tommy Roche: He was a freelance journalist that the NYT occasionally used

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:04 AM

    @Ivan Connolly: a black shirt will always beat a red neck or a yellow belly

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:18 PM

    Moldova, Georgia, Sweden, Finland, Estonia,Latvia & Lithuania and then onto Poland. US & NATO have no stomach for fighting after Afghanistan

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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:31 PM

    @trebloc01: I’d doubt they’ll have the money or capacity to get out of Ukraine let alone the others you’ve mentioned

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:36 PM

    @trebloc01: NATO hasn’t been attacked so why would it get involved in someon else’s war? Russia are struggling to take Ukraine there is no chance Putin is looking at his militaries performance in Ukraine and thinking of attacking any NATO state. So stop talking cr ap

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    Mute alan scott
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:47 PM

    @trebloc01: the war in Afghanistan will look small in comparison to would could happen.

    And no NATO and the USA not are weak.

    They will defend every inch of NATO territory and destroy Russia in a day, considering Russia is having a very difficult time against a vastly inferior military.

    God speed Ukraine

    Clown alert

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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:23 PM

    @trebloc01: half of those countries are NATO. The minute Russia sets foot in any NATO country their military will be torn to shreds. Ukraine are making a good fist of it by themselves but if Russia take on NATO directly they’ll be obliterated. Their only option will be nukes. Even then, they’ll be destroyed. I have no doubt there are people in the kremlin preparing to take Putin out should he show signs of moving in that direction.

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Mar 13th 2022, 6:35 PM

    @trebloc01: They weren’t wearing their Nato ensignia during the war on Afghanistan. That was an openly US operation. The Europeans were just there for a bit of training and sales opportunities for their arms industries.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:13 AM

    @Roy Dowling: I get your drift but less than 20 days ago the current situation in Ukraine was unthinkable

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    Mute Niamh Hayes
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    Mar 13th 2022, 8:17 PM

    As much as we give out about the media ,we continue to forget how important journalism is in the world as a tool of truth and freedom.R.I.P

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    Mute Tomás Barrett
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    Mar 13th 2022, 7:19 PM

    @Willie Penwright: ‘free’ far far freer than Russians who face 15 years in prison if they don’t tow the Kermlins line.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:21 AM

    Sad event for all in the media and consumers of the media But can anyone imagine if this was a Fox journalist and the spin that would follow

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Mar 14th 2022, 7:42 AM

    Hate to be the one to say this but I will. I told you all so when Russia was building up its force on the Russian border that this was about to happen. Russia has pretty much used up the resources of its army on this little experiment and as long as it doesn’t get replenished from China. I’m convinced that China may take this opportunity to attack Russia on its eastern side. If Putin isn’t careful he could loose his Pacific sea access!

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