Sod turned on social housing project in Monaghan

Teach na nDaoine Family Resource Centre in Monaghan turned the sod on a project which will provide an eight-unit two bed independent living accommodation for the community.

The sod was flung in the air on Tuesday of last week by Minister for Equality Norma Foley.

The centre recently became an approved housing body and Project Co-ordinator Packie Kelly told the Celt the centre has "seen the need obviously for housing within the local community".

"We have our own land, and we thought the right thing to do to support our community is to provide housing," he explained.

The project received full planning permission to go ahead and they are working in partnership with Monaghan County Council to "obtain funding, appoint a contractor and build".

The project has yet to be submitted to the Department of Housing, however Mr Kelly said they are receiving "nothing but positive signals to say yes you will be funded".

"The number one priority is to take people off the social housing list," he said of the project.

"We are building houses for our own community," he added.

Mr Kelly is hopeful that a contractor will be on site in the next 10-12 months, meanwhile he also said project will be "fast-tracked" as there is water and electricity already on-site.