Bantry convent to provide homes for single and widowed people

WIDOWED and single people on the housing list can expect to have their needs met as part of a new social housing development in Bantry.

Cllr Danny Collins (Ind) said locals had expressed concern about the dilapidated state of the former Convent of Mercy building.

But the good news is that the site has been made secure before tenders will be sought – early in 2021 – for the construction of 18 new one and two-bedroomed apartments by the housing group Cluid.

‘People complained about delays with the project and the fact that windows had been broken, but the construction project will restore the building to pristine order,’ according to the councillor.

There could be further good news in the New Year as consideration is being given to making the main convent hall available for a much-needed community amenity.

‘For single people, this project is a major plus,’ Cllr Collins told The Southern Star. ‘There are lots of single people – widowed or otherwise – on the housing list in Bantry who find it next to impossible to find a house locally.

‘It’s not just single people,’ he said, ‘the housing crisis in Bantry at the moment is drastic. Not a week goes by without a person contacting me and that includes couples, families and professional people who have moved to Bantry for work.

‘Long-term and short-term lets are just not there at the moment.

‘But the worst affected are single people because the type of accommodation they need is as rare as hen’s teeth.’