THERE are 6,241 adults and children on Clare County Council’s social housing waiting list, 2,998 of these on HAP, according to the local authority which says the county has a “robust housing delivery programme”.
These details have been released as Clare Labour urge the local authority to speed up the Town Centre First plan and engage with over 80 towns and villages in Clare, saying local efforts will help to reduce numbers on the waiting list and house people.
According to Dermot Hayes of Clare Labour this would help “to bring back to life unused houses/sites and repopulate these places again to bring vibrancy and thriving schools, shops and communities. Because most infrastructure is already in place in these settlements, it is cost effective to immediately connect these houses as they are reconstructed.”
Clare Labour has carried out a housing survey based on data for April of this year showing 2,987 households approved for social housing support, however the party suggested this figure may be much higher.
“An applicant can be an individual, a couple, a couple with children or a single parent with children, so Labour conservatively estimate that the 2,987 applicants equate to at least 10,000 people,” says Mr Hayes.
Responding to the claim, Clare County Council have stated, “Clare County Council can confirm that at the time of this response there are 6,241 individuals (adults and children) on the social housing waiting list, of this figure 2,998 individuals are in HAP accommodation.
“These figures relate to 2,877 households approved for social housing support of whom 1,295 are HAP accommodated. It should be noted that 21% of the households approved are single persons.”
Clare Labour have also criticised social housing income limits set out in Social Housing Assessment Regulations of €25,000 for a single person and €28,125 for a couple with three children.
“These are very low income limits and force many thousands of Clare people not on the housing list to rent on the private market or live at home indefinitely and put their lives on hold. Labour estimates that 15,000 people are in the private rentals,” says Mr Hayes.
Describing the findings of their study as “stark”, Clare Labour believe the local authority can return to building the social and affordable housing for people like they did from the 1930s to the 1970s.
“Clare County Council are obliged to provide adequate shelter. In the past the local authorities built social housing but unfortunately have they not been given the necessary funds for many years. Instead the council spends government money on HAPs payments to subsidise rental of 1,300 private properties in 2021.
“Nationally public housing is increasingly being provided though 500 Approved Housing Bodies (AHB’s). The numbers of these Not-For-Profit organisations has increased dramatically in recent years, including household names like Respond, Cluid, Fr McVerry Trust.
“All these AHBs have overheads, CEOs and staff and either build or acquire houses for people on the housing list. While these activities are laudable, the AHBs adds another layer of bureaucracy, complications and cost to the state to provide for those that need housing.”
The 2016 census established there were 5,936 vacant houses and 4,821 holiday homes in Clare, he outlines.
“Meanwhile nationally the government is spending €1.0 billion annually on HAPs, RAS, leasing etc to subside private landlords, this is in addition to the costs of all the temporary arrangements in B&Bs and hotel rooms to house thousands of families who are in dire need of permanent homes.”
Clare County Council’s response continues, “The income limits are set out in the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 (as amended by SI 16/2021), the Council has no discretion in the application of these regulations as they apply to Clare.
“There are 5,551 private rented tenancies registered with the Residential Tenancies Board in Clare as per data provided to the Council up to March 21, 2022. The next extract of data should contain more accurate information as all landlords are required to register tenancies on annual basis effective from April 4, 2022. Using the same ratio as above 5,551 tenancies would equate to 12,000 individuals in private rented accommodation in the county.
“The Council has a robust housing delivery programme as reported on monthly in the management report provided for Council meetings. In the coming weeks the Council will be allocating 92 units of accommodation at Ennis, Tulla and Miltown Malbay. The delivery of these direct build units by the Council is greatly welcomed and will provide A-rated homes and security of tenure to 92 households.
“The Council works closely with the AHB sector in Clare. Delivery of social housing units by this sector is strong with a good pipeline of projects to meet the delivery target set under Housing for All.
“The Council has undertaken significant work in relation to addressing dereliction and vacancy in towns and villages in Clare. The team has identified properties which have been brought into stock and are continuing to work with property owners, councillors and the community to bring units back into use. The Council continues to work to achieve the delivery targets of new builds in Clare to meet housing need.”