Sophia Housing Association

What Sophia Housing Association does

Sophia Housing Association is a registered Irish charity (CHY 13516; Registered Charity Number 20042363) founded in 1997 and headquartered at 25 Cork Street, Dublin 8. It provides long-term housing with integrated support services to individuals and families who have experienced homelessness across Ireland, and it explicitly does not accept self-referrals. Service users are routed exclusively through Local Authority homeless lists and, in Dublin, through the Central Placement Service, making government partnership the foundational channel for intake.

The organization manages a portfolio of 550+ homes supporting approximately 1,500 people at any one time, delivered through a staff of 190 (including project workers, tenancy sustainment officers, peer support workers, and a Community Employment Scheme). The Community Employment Scheme, run in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection, offers part-time (19.5 hours/week), FETAC-accredited training tracks in Catering, Childcare, Hygiene, Maintenance, and Receptionist. Operations span Dublin (headquarters and Cork Street), Donabate, Cork, Mayo, and Leitrim, with a publicly stated growth plan to reach 700 homes by 2027.

Sophia's revenue model is managed-services-style charitable funding: an annual turnover of €9m and organizational assets of €100m, sourced from government funding, housing assistance payments, and charitable donations (including an iDonate page). There is no fee charged to service users, no proprietary technology platform, no app, and no AI or data capabilities disclosed. The core deliverable is housing with support rather than a software product, and competitive advantage is built on Local Authority referral relationships, trauma-informed practice, and the in-house Community Employment workforce pipeline.

Name

Sophia Housing Association

Legal name

Sophia Housing Association

Website

https://sophia.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sophia Housing Association is an Irish registered charity, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Dublin, that provides long-term housing with support services to individuals and families who have experienced homelessness across Ireland, sourced exclusively through Local Authority referrals, and manages 550+ homes serving approximately 1,500 people.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Social housing services
• Homeless accommodation support
• Community employment training
• Supported housing Ireland
• Nonprofit housing association

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable/Government Funding: As a registered charity (CHY 13516) and housing association, Sophia generates revenue through government funding, charitable donations, and potentially housing assistance payments. Annual turnover of €9m with assets of €100m.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sophia Housing Association is a registered charity providing long-term housing with integrated support services for individuals and families who have experienced homelessness across Ireland. The organization manages over 550 homes supporting approximately 1,500 people at any one time, working exclusively through Local Authority referrals rather than self-referrals. It also runs a Community Employment Scheme offering training in catering, childcare, hygiene, maintenance, and receptionist roles.

Product overview

Sophia Housing Association is a charitable housing organization, not a technology company. It does not offer a software product platform or technology services. The organization provides social housing and support services for people who have experienced homelessness across Ireland. Its core offerings include long-term homes with integrated support services, emergency accommodation referrals (working in partnership with Local Authorities), and a Community Employment Scheme offering training opportunities in Catering, Childcare, Hygiene, Maintenance, and Receptionist roles. The organization manages over 550 homes supporting approximately 1,500 people at any one time, with plans to expand to 700 homes by 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long-Term Housing with Support Services Long-term social housing with integrated trauma-informed support services for individuals and families who have experienced homelessness in Ireland. Access is exclusively via Local Authority referral for people registered on a Local Authority homeless list; Sophia does not accept self-referrals.
• Emergency Accommodation Referrals Referral-based emergency accommodation placements for men, women, and families, coordinated through Dublin's Central Placement Service (CPS) and Local Authority partnerships across Ireland.
• Community Employment Scheme

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Authorities (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSophia works in partnership with Local Authorities across Ireland. They only accept referrals for people who are registered as homeless and on a Local Authority list. This partnership covers all counties including Dublin, Cork, Mayo, Leitrim, and others.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Depaul Ireland: Charity providing accommodation and support services to people who are homeless or at risk across multiple Irish regions. Directly comparable supported-housing model.
• Peter McVerry Trust: Irish housing and homeless services charity operating supported housing across the country. Closely comparable operating model to Sophia — providing long-term housing with wraparound support.
• Threshold: National housing charity in Ireland focused on housing rights, advice, and policy advocacy for people experiencing housing difficulties. Comparable client base and government-intermediated delivery model.
• Focus Ireland: National homelessness charity in Ireland providing advice, housing, and prevention services. Directly comparable to Sophia in target population (people experiencing homelessness) and reliance on Local Authority referrals.
• Simon Communities of Ireland: National homelessness charity delivering housing, prevention, and support services across Ireland. Comparable in mission, government-funded model, and supported tenancy offering.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army Ireland: International charitable organization with substantial Irish operations delivering homeless accommodation and support services. Comparable supported-housing and referral-funded operating model.
• Respond! Housing Association: Approved Irish housing association providing social housing and family services. Comparable organizational structure and Local Authority-aligned model, though broader in tenant profile.
• Clúid Housing: Ireland's largest approved housing body providing social and affordable housing. Comparable in being a registered Irish housing association, though broader in scope (not exclusively homelessness).
• Circle Voluntary Housing Association: Approved Irish housing body providing social housing nationwide. Comparable as a nonprofit housing association operating in partnership with Local Authorities.

Emerging players

• St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Ireland: Large Irish charitable organization providing social support including housing-related assistance to people in need. Comparable in mission and charity-funded service delivery, though housing is one of many service areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sophia_housing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoWDO_Q275uxpzXacEPQlVg
• Facebookfacebook.com/sophiahousingirl
• Instagraminstagram.com/sophiahousing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sophia Housing Association