Dwayne’s Story:
I had just finished my Leaving Cert when I found myself without a home. The death of my father took a toll on my family and me. The situation got worse to the point that I no longer felt welcome in my own home. Finding nowhere else I could turn, I spent two nights sleeping in Pearse Street Garda Station. After exploring other options, I contacted Dublin Simon’s Outreach Team. I was scared and unsure of where I’d be able to lay my head for the night, but the team reassured me. Staff helped me secure accommodation for the night and somewhere else I could stay longer term. I spent the three years moving between various accommodation services. I eventually got a place in transitional housing, before being put forward for a new social housing unit in Dublin Simon Community’s Carpenters Court. I didn’t fancy my chances of getting a place initially, but one day, I got a call from Dublin Simon’s Property Team delivering the good news. I was offered a one-bedroom apartment at Arbour Hill. I was more relieved than I’d ever been in my life. I couldn’t believe the freedom that came with having my own place, and that day, I had my best night’s sleep for a long time. I’m very privileged to be in the position that I’m in now. I feel stable now. I have plans on pursuing my goal of starting my own business and moving forward.
Approved Housing Body – A Core Strategic Pillar
Ending homelessness requires homes – and a sustained, long-term approach to delivering them at scale. The current lack of national housing stock increases the number of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness. Combined with increasing pressure on tenancies and rising cost of living, access to appropriate housing remains one of the greatest barriers to securing a home. Dublin Simon Community’s role as an Approved Housing Body (AHB) is key to our work to address this challenge – not only by delivering new homes but by ensuring they are part of a long-term, sustainable solution.
Goal: Ensuring a greater availability of housing to address homelessness through housing acquisition, development, estate and asset management.
Read the full report here: https://www.dubsimon.ie/annual-impact-report-2025
Initiatives:
Property Acquisition & Development: Acquire and develop properties to provide tenancies, client services and workplaces.
Expanding our housing supply remained a key priority in 2025. By the end of the year, our property portfolio stood at 762 dwellings, and the net book value of fixed assets increased to €122.7 million, against €121.1 million in 2024. This total was achieved through the completion of construction projects and the acquisition of turnkey units. Underpinned by a 30-year property business plan to ensure a financially sustainable and scalable housing model, our Property Development Team progressed a number of projects, delivering new purpose-built accommodation and advancing future pipeline schemes, including:
- Seán McDermott Street, Dublin – Following an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála, planning permission was granted in March 2025 for 8 apartments adjacent to our existing Seán McDermott Street premises. Construction is due to commence in Q3 2026.
- Barrack Street, Dundalk – Following the withdrawal of the previous planning application, a new application was submitted by Dublin Simon in August for a reduced scheme of 21 apartments.
- Long-Term Accommodation (LTA) Expansion: This is a major strategic project for Dublin Simon, as we seek to develop the provision of additional bespoke long-term accommodation across the greater Dublin area. The programme will incorporate the work already completed on feasibility and design proposals already carried out on Oak House and Maple House. Initial concept, format and high-level costings were considered during the year with the next steps to obtain local authority backing and support for potential projects in their areas.
- Acquisition – New turnkey units were acquired by Dublin Simon in Bluebell (Camac) and Old Bawn (Carraigmore). Additionally, Dublin Simon agreed terms with a developer and the Department of Housing to purchase 19 houses (10 x 3 beds, 9 x 2 beds) in Crumlin, Dublin. Our strategic direction involves acquiring more turnkey units into the future.
Asset Management: Deliver an effective, robust asset and estate management framework.
Acquiring or building homes is one part of our role as an AHB. Protecting housing stock and ensuring residents remain in their homes once units have been acquired or built is the second aspect of our role as an AHB and involves maintaining those homes to the highest standards. Some units require substantial upgrades or refurbishment. A portfolio of 762 dwellings means we handled nearly 3,000 maintenance and repair requests from our residents in 2025. By the end of the year, 49 independent units were allocated to new tenants, housing 105 people. The total number of people housed across our 346 independent units now stands at 914. Our independent units consist of 140 one-bedroom, 109 twobedroom, and 97 with three or more bedrooms.
Tenant Management: Effectively manage all tenancies to generate income for the organisation, ensure compliance with regulations and that we are a responsible landlord where tenants always are at the heart of what we do.
Dublin Simon’s Independent Housing Team strengthened its tenancy management supports, with new roles introduced to proactively identify and support tenancies at risk. This included enhanced engagement with residents, improved coordination with managing agents and owner management companies, and a stronger focus on sustaining tenancies over time. Providing high-quality homes is essential, but it is not the end of the story. Sustaining tenancies requires the integration of housing with health, social and tenancy support services, and community engagement. Dublin Simon Community’s role as an Approved Housing Body does not operate in isolation – it’s an integral part of our overall response. By combining housing delivery with long-term support, we are creating pathways not just out of homelessness, but into lasting homes.
Carpenters Court: Delivering Homes, Enabling Independence
Delivering social housing is a critical part of Dublin Simon’s response to homelessness. As an Approved Housing Body, the organisation continues to expand its housing stock, providing long-term homes that enable people to move on and sustain independent living. Officially opened in September 2025 by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, and Minister for Housing James Browne TD, Carpenters Court at Arbour Hill provides 14 new high-quality social homes at a central location for individuals on Dublin City Council’s (DCC) housing list. Delivered in partnership with Dublin City Council, and funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Carpenters Court reflects the collaborative model to address housing needs at scale. It showcases our housing delivery strategy as an Approved Housing Body, which has seen Dublin Simon deliver 346 housing units to date. The project illustrates our commitment to supporting residents to continue living independently in their own homes and communities. Each apartment is occupied by a single tenant, and all are delighted to finally have a place to call home. The residents are made up of a mix of men and women, ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s. The people living at Carpenters Court come from all walks of life and the diverse community they have built there shows what can be achieved when we make home a reality. The building has been designed and constructed to a high standard, with dual-aspect apartments and living spaces arranged to take advantage of orientation and to overlook the street in front. All units are A2 rated and employ innovative environmental, sustainable and cost-effective solutions for the ongoing management and operation of the development. Carpenters Court demonstrates the impact of social housing in practice: not only providing new homes but creating the conditions for people to rebuild their lives and sustain them over time.
Read the full report here