Homeless women's accomodation opens in Kildare 

A NEW shared transitional housing service in County Kildare has been launched by Kildare County Council (KCC) at Osberstown Cottage,

This facility will provide secure, short-term accommodation for up to five women experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, with a focus on supporting their transition towards permanent housing.

“It’s KCC-owned but run by the Simon Community,” explained Cllr Carmel Kelly, who had the honour to cut the official ribbon as Cathaoirleach of Kildare County Council (KCC).

“It’s for up to five homeless women at a time, and it’s an absolutely beautiful house,” she said.

“There’s women there aged between 20 and 60, and they started taking them in in September.

“It’s for women who found themselves homeless through no fault of their own, not from addiction.

“They could’ve been renting all their life, and then the found the landlord was looking to sell up, and they had to live in their car.

“All the women here are working, but it’s not just the accommodation, but the services they provide, like helping them get on the housing list.

“We’re talking about a six-month turnaround hopefully.

“The council bought the house by CPO when they were building the bypass, and it looks like it was built as a forever home, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

“The vision for this was led by the housing section at the council and the Housing SPC led by cllr Aoife Breslin,” she added.

Residents will benefit from individual support plans and dedicated key worker assistance.

The initiative aims to facilitate up to 10 placements each year, with typical stays of six-months, helping women move from emergency accommodation to independent living.

This project demonstrates Kildare County Council’s continued commitment to addressing homelessness and aligns with the Mid-East Region Homelessness Action Plan 2024–2026.

The council acknowledged the vital work of Dublin Simon Community in this initiative and looks forward to continued collaboration.