Residents foster community spirit at Dundalk's Halliday Mills complex

A number of residents and management at the Halliday Mills apartment complex on Quay street have said that work has been ongoing to deal with issues in the building and that a lot of good community building work has begun in an effort to foster a community spirit.

Residents and management invited local media to the complex to showcase and discuss some of the measures.

The Democrat spoke with Inga Perkone Co Chair of the newly reformed residents’ committee, Geraldine Martin who lives in one of the apartments and two other residents who live in the building. 

Inga is originally from Latvia moved to Ireland 16 years ago and lives with her three children and Geraldine is an artist and graphic designer.

The residents expressed concerns that the Halliday Mills was getting a bad name after well publicised issues of anti-social behaviour and wanted to stress that a lot of good work was being done to tackle the issues and create a community spirit. 
Inga acknowledged that:

“There were issues in the beginning with antisocial [behaviour], but there was never a late response or no response and any other issues, there haven’t been that many, have been resolved in a very short time.” 

One resident who wished to remain anonymous felt that: 

“Everything that’s been written in the papers is very, very negative” and that “the problem is Dundalk [can be an] awful town for a rumour mill and if anything happens at all, word spreads.”

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Another resident who also wanted to remain anonymous said:

“If you were to put 85 apartments into a housing estate, you wouldn’t hear half the stuff that’s going on. 

“It’s because we all live in close proximity. Everybody is just listening out for what’s going on.”

In recent months, residents have set up book clubs, walking clubs and organised Halloween and Christmas events. 

In a bid to deal with anti-social behaviour issues, residents have held a meeting with community gardai in October where they agreed to set up a neighbourhood watch scheme within the complex. 

Other preventative measures undertaken by management included the installation of lift cameras and a fob system to curb vandalism in the bins store, which had previously been an issue. 

Eoin Carroll, Policy and Communications manager with Co-Operative Housing Ireland, who run the building, and Lar Roddy Housing Officer for the complex stated that steps, both preventative and reactive, were ongoing to deal with issues.

Mr Carroll said:

“CHI have said before, we don’t have control over nominations, that’s provided by Louth County Council, and that’s the same nationally. 

“We do go through a process of interviewing everybody that comes into the homes and we do communicate with the gardai in terms of vetting.”

Mr Roddy added: 

“We have a very good relationship with the community gardai in Dundalk and that’s being fostered and maintained.

“Before we moved in here, we would have built up that relationship. 

“The council have been very good at putting in tenancy sustainment workers from the Dundalk Simon Community, providing supports to anyone who does need that additional support.”

Both emphasised that there was a process that had to be allowed to take place to deal with persistent issues of antisocial behaviour and begin eviction proceedings if needed.

“Organisationally it is very sad because there perhaps has been a tone or a message that CHI isn’t responding to antisocial behaviour,” said Mr Carroll.

“From the feedback I get from Lar and the housing team, we’re very proactive.

"There’s obviously the due process that has to take place and also we also need to be mindful of the implications of our decisions because you’re making somebody homeless as well. 

“So it is really important to follow through with the due process of the RTB (Residential Tenancies Board).”

Mr Roddy added: 

“I think from a members perspective the members have become more aware of the RTB process and that we can’t just [on the back of one instance of ] antisocial behaviour kick someone out or move someone on back to Louth county council.

“So I think the members became aware of the RTB process as well.”

Management and residents also have plans to attend an upcoming Dundalk JPC (Joint Policing Committee) meeting to further discuss issues with local gardai and councillors.