A community centre in Dublin’s south inner city is facing an uncertain future after its rent increased by almost 300%.
Locals said the loss of the facility would be devastating for the community because it provides multiple services to disadvantaged groups, people with disabilities, asylum seekers, the elderly and children.
Located in the heart of the Liberties, in the shadow of the Oliver Bond Street flats, the Robert Emmett Community Development Project has serviced this area for a decade.
Sewing and history groups for older people, language classes and cooking facilities for asylum seekers, pilates for blind people and therapy for those with cocaine addiction are just some of the services provided at the centre.
The centre’s after-school programmes provide homework support, hot meals, extracurricular activities and summer camps to 24 children throughout the year.
The Integration Programme has 250 participants across 27 separate educational activities at the centre and 52 people have secured employment through other integration services provided by the centre.
But the future of the project is looking uncertain because of a 300% rise in its rent.
CEO of the Robert Emmett Community Development Project Austin Campbell said they have invested €250,000 in the facility and losing it would leave the area without a community space for the next three years.
Mr Campbell said: “Our 10-year lease expires in November of this year. We got the place for quite a low rent in 2014 on the basis that we got it as a shell and core, it was just a concrete space when we got it.
“We put €250,000 into it, we invested a lot of money to make it into a community space it is today.
“The requirement to pay a 300% increase means it’s not feasible.”
He added that if the project could not get the funding to meet this requirement, it would mean “we’re going to unfortunately lose space”.
“There’s a significant lack of space in the area, so that’ll be really damaging for the community,” he said.
Locals said the centre is the beating heart of the community.
Among them is Lily Corbally who attends a number of classes in the centre including the history group.
She describes it as an “oasis” and said she would be devastated if it had to close its doors
Ms Corbally said: “It means an awful lot to the community. I’d be very, very sad to be honest because I don’t know what to do with myself, because I live for coming down here.
“I’m retired now a few years. I live for the centre and I just love everybody here. They’re all my friends.
“I just feel I’m so comfortable here. I feel very welcome here. It means an awful lot to me.
“I’d be devastated if that happens to the centre.”
Another member of the history group Jane Tobin said she feels the same.
“It means a lot to me. We’re a great group and we look forward to coming down every Wednesday, we go on lots of trips,” she said.
“The children come over for the after school. You meet Ukrainians and Polish. We have a lot going on down here and it’s a great place to be,” she added.
Jeanette Cullen lives in the nearby Oliver Bond flats and said the centre is vital for local people who are young and old.
“There’s 397 flats and three houses and there’s absolutely no community building whatsoever,” she said.
“For the amount of people and kids who live here, we don’t have anything,” she added.
Her neighbour, Liz O’Connor, who also lives in the flat complex and runs a food bank from the centre said the space is vital for the community
“They’re building hotels, they’re building apartments, everything but a community facility,” Ms O’Connor said.
A state-owned premises for this project has been promised, but it will not be available for at least three years.
The Community Development Project said it will now need to raise €20,000 a year, over the next three years to meet the increased rent or the centre will have to close.
It is calling on the Government to consider making some of the proceeds of the vacant site levy and Section 48 Development Contributions that are generated in the Dublin 8 area to fund infrastructure for community projects like this one.
Local gardaí, the Education and Training Board and other groups have submitted letters of support for the centre, highlighting the role it plays in community development.
Mr Campbell said that what has happened here is a symptom of under investment in the community sector.
“It is a manifestation of under investment in community resources by state agencies in Dublin 8, and a general lack of joined together thinking over a period of decades,” Mr Campbell said.
“Community organisations – like other public bodies such as schools and hospitals – are publicly funded and should operate from premises provided directly by the State,” he said.
He added: “A requirement to lease premises from private owners at market rates represents another unnecessary migration of public funds to the private sector while also providing insecure tenure to anchor community organisations in their own area.”
