The Society of the Sacred Heart embarks on Age-friendly housing project

The Society of the Sacred Heart, which was first established as a convent and schools at Mount Anville, Dublin, in 1865, has decided to embark on an age-friendly housing project on a section of its lands.

The decision has been taken in the context of Ireland’s national housing crisis and the shortage of appropriate housing for older people.  The housing scheme will provide a housing mix for the older people on the Local Authority Housing list, a small number of ageing sisters already living in the area, and other people who may choose to relocate in the locality.

The proposed project will not impact on the educational facilities associated with the Mount Anville Schools, including the extensive sports facilities.  It will be located at the Lower Kilmacud Road end of the property.

Today the Society of the Scared Heart, Irish-Scottish Province, consists of 45 retired Sisters with an average age of 82.  At one stage the Province had 270 sisters.  Over the years Mount Anville provided education for thousands of pupils.

In 2007 the Society passed the trusteeship of the schools on the Mount Anville campus to the Mount Anville Sacred Heart Education Trust.

The province has spent the past 20 months exploring a range of options, supported by property and planning advisors, for the purpose of achieving three key objectives:

• identify an appropriate use for these Society-owned lands at Mount Anville
• Create a legacy and social dividend for a community in which the Society has had a presence for over 150 years
• Provide ‘age-friendly’ accommodation for both the now small number of ageing members of the Society in Dublin, and other older members of the local community.

The Province has been engaged in discussions for some time with Sophia Housing Association, an Approved Housing Body, and now plans to initiate discussions with development partners to deliver on the Society’s ‘age-friendly’ housing vision.