Clúid Housing launches 46 apartments at Google’s Bolands Mills at discounted rents

Local key workers can avail of homes with rents up to 36% below market rate

Clúid, Ireland’s leading Approved Housing Body (AHB), has today announced the launch of new discounted rent homes located at Google’s recently redeveloped Bolands Mills quarter.

Clúid, the not-for-profit housing association, was selected by Google after a competitive tender process to lease and manage the 46 rental apartments. The homes are located in a renovated heritage building and a newly constructed building on Barrow Street, Dublin 4. These homes will be on a 25-year lease to Clúid from Google with the intention of letting them to local key workers in the area for below-market rent. The apartments will be advertised from tomorrow, Wednesday 19 February.

Rents
The scheme comprises 35 two-bed apartments, 10 three-bed apartments, and one larger three-bed apartment with discounted to market monthly rents as below:
● Two-bed apartment €1,710 (35 units)
● Three-bed apartment €1,850 (10 units)
● Large Three-bed apartment €2,100 (one unit)

According to the latest Daft.ie report (Q3 2024), the Bolands Mills two-bed and three-bed apartments represent a significant discount for many residents of the area, at respective rates of 27% and 36% below current market averages in Dublin 4.

Key workers
A unique aspect of this scheme is that it will target key workers in the local Docklands community. A ‘key worker’ is defined as an employee who provides a vital service for the local community and wider society, especially in areas including but not limited to; public safety, healthcare, education, transport, law and order and infrastructure.

Local connection
There is a requirement that applicants are able to demonstrate a connection to the local area. The local area is defined as within a 1.5km radius of Bolands Mills. Examples of a connection to the area include being born and raised there, living in the area for a minimum of five years, immediate family living in the area for a minimum of five years, and/or working in the area.

Eibhlin O’Connor, Chief Commercial Officer of Clúid Housing, said: “As a not-for-profit housing organisation with 30 years of experience in managing and maintaining homes, we understand the importance of providing high-quality housing options for multi-occupant households, whether families or individuals who are sharing. We have benchmarked the rents against front-line worker salaries to ensure they are accessible and sustainable for those who play a vital role in our society. In addition to the discounted to market rent, BER ratings of B for the heritage building and A for the new tower means these apartments will be economical to run. Their central location also means that residents can walk or cycle to work and access many key local amenities. Bolands Mills is well connected to the city and greater Dublin area through well serviced bus and rail links.

Speaking of Clúid’s involvement in Bolands Mills, O’Connor explained: “We were delighted to be selected by Google as the Approved Housing Body to manage the Bolands Mills apartments, and our collective aim is for this project to support key workers with strong connections to the Docklands area. It’s incredible to see a multinational like Google give back to the local community in such an impactful way and hopefully it inspires others to invest in similar community initiatives. Bolands Mills is not just a housing development; we believe in building enduring and collaborative relationships with our residents, creating a sense of belonging and community spirit. We’re looking forward to welcoming over 100 residents to the complex in the coming months.”

Vanessa Hartley, Head of Google Ireland, said: “Google has been part of the Docklands community for over 20 years now and we are proud to call this part of the city our home. We’re delighted to partner with Clúid to provide these discounted rental apartments, helping key workers who are vital to our local area and society to live close to where they contribute so much. We’ve always envisioned Bolands Mills as a place that supports and enhances the neighbourhood, and this partnership is a significant step towards that goal.”
The application process will open tomorrow Wednesday, 19 February on clúid.ie and Daft.ie and will remain open for two weeks. Applications will be assessed by a third-party provider, Occu Living. These apartments will be ready for the selected residents in Spring 2025. More information on the apartments and eligibility criteria can be found on cluid.ie.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

About Clúid Housing
Clúid Housing is an independent, not-for-profit housing association, and is the leading approved housing body (AHB) in Ireland. Established in 1994, Clúid leads the way in providing high quality, affordable rented homes to people in housing need. We work in partnership with local authorities to provide housing to those on social housing waiting lists. Clúid owns and manages more than 12,000 properties providing a home to over 31,000 people.

Our team of 340 highly qualified professional employees are committed to providing quality housing and services that enable people to create homes and thriving communities.

For more information visit www.cluid.ie

Full Eligibility Criteria
Household size:
The household size must match the size of the property advertised as per the following:
● Two-bed unit – suitable for two single adults in a house share or cohabiting couple/lone parent with 1 or 2 children
● Three-bed unit – suitable for three single/non-cohabiting adults in a house share or a couple and two single adults in a house share or cohabiting couple/lone parent with 2 to 3 children
● Large three-bed top floor unit – suitable for three single/non-cohabiting adults in a house share or a couple and two single/non-cohabiting adults in a house share or cohabiting couple/lone parent with 2 to 4 children.
Any applicants who wish to share need to make one application as a group.

Local Need
This scheme will target the local community with a requirement that applicants must be able to demonstrate a genuine “Local Need”:
● “Local Need” has been defined as any person born in the Local Area or any person living in the Local Area for a minimum of 5 years OR any person whose parents or adult children have been living in the Local Area for a minimum of five years OR any person whose primary occupation is within the Local Area – being able to demonstrate a genuine need to live in the Local Area.
● “Local Area” has been defined as within a 1.5 km radius of Bolands Mills.
● Applicants are required to submit a supporting letter with their application providing information on their key worker status and local connection or contribution to the local area.

Key Worker
A ‘Key Worker’ means an employee who provides a vital service for the local community and wider society, especially in areas (including but not limited to) of; public safety, healthcare, education, transport, law and order and infrastructure.

Affordability
Applicants will be assessed against an affordability test and maximum income threshold:
● Affordability in this case is defined as prospective rental payments making up no more than 35% of the applicant’s net income.
● Where rental payments make up more than 35% of the applicant’s net income, Clúid may give the applicant the option to evidence that, based on the applicant’s current income, they have paid the same rent or higher, for the preceding two years, without defaulting.
● Maximum income will vary according to the rent per apartment type. The rent for the two-bed apartments is €1,710, the three-bed apartments €1,850 and the three-bed penthouse is €2,100.

In addition to the income eligibility requirement, households must:

● Not own a property
● Have only entered one application for a specific Bolands Mills rental property.

Allocations
Allocation will be based on a lottery system, with offers of tenancy remaining available to the selected applicant for 24 hours. When this period elapses, the offer is withdrawn and is made available to the next applicant until the property is allocated. Acceptance of the offer of tenancy would be agreed by way of payment of a deposit.