Dublin Council to Convert Vacant Avalon House into Family Homeless Accommodation for €7.35M

Dublin City Council will convert Avalon House, a vacant hostel, into emergency accommodation for homeless families at a cost of €7.35 million. The 19th-century protected structure on Aungier Street has cost the council over €10 million in rent since 2019 while remaining empty.

The Peter McVerry Trust initially leased Avalon House in 2019 for 20 years, planning to use it as a shelter for 155 single men. Following local objections and a legal challenge by Councillor Mannix Flynn regarding planning procedures, the trust agreed in 2020 to transfer the lease to the council, which was formalized in 2021. The building has since remained vacant, with the council paying approximately €2 million annually in rent to Irish Social Housing Fund 1.

Local councillors, including Flynn, have now supported the conversion into a «family hub» for 115 adults and children in 19 units, to be operated by Depaul. The council secured lease changes in 2023, extending the term from 20 to 25 years. An audit shows the Dublin Region Homeless Executive paid €2.5 million in 2023 and €2.3 million in 2024 for the empty building. Refurbishment works, expected to cost at least €7.35 million by the end of 2028, were lodged for planning approval in March and endorsed by councillors last week, with full city council approval anticipated in July. The building, built in 1879, requires extensive work due to its age and vacancy.