Formation 1982 Purpose Housing Association Director Patrick Cogan OFM | Legal status Not for Profit Region served Ireland | |
Location Waterford (Headquarters),
Cork, Dublin,
Galway and
Limerick | ||
Respond! is a housing association founded in Waterford, Ireland in the 1980s, by the Franciscan community there. Its mission was to provide housing for those with limited means such as young families and older persons. To date it has build over 5500 houses around Ireland, and is Ireland's Largest not-for-profit Housing Association. The association has its headquarters in Waterford but regional centres in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dublin. Respond was responsible for various housing developments in Ennis, Waterford, Wexford and Youghal.
Respond also provides services for members of the Travelling community and also provides management services for some current Traveller accommodation schemes
In 2005 Respond! was invited by the Diocese of Kokstad, KwaZulu Natal, in South Africa, to assist them in development and provision of support services for those in need in its area. Here they have developed the Sivile Housing project.
In 2012 Respond celebrated 30 years since its foundation.
Respond College
Developing on the education and training provided by the Association, Respond appointed its first education officer in 1992. In 2009 Respond became a FETAC registered center for training and provides a number of training courses in Social Care provision, it also became an accredited centre by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) UK, and provides a number of Certificate courses in Housing administration. Respond College was formally established in March 2011 (and Institutionally validated by the Irish governments Higher Education and Training awards Council (HETAC). In 2013 a part-time BA degree in Housing and Community Studies (validated by HETAC) commences in Respond College, in High Park, Drumcondra, Dublin and nearby in Marino Institute of Education, this degree has a level 7 and level 8 outcome on the NFQ Framework.
Respond has developed and delivered BSS in Housing & Community Studies with University College Dublin (and awarded by them) in the past, this was delivered in Cork, Dublin and Galway, and a Certificate in Community Work with National University of Ireland, Maynooth.