VACANT AFFORDABLE HOMES SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO RENT-TO-BUY SCHEME IN EAST CORK
Issued : Tuesday 16 February, 2010
Cobh Town councillor John Mulvihill jnr has stated that the report this week that one local authority has been unable to sell its stock of affordable homes highlights the need to completely re-evaluate how social and affordable housing schemes operate is not isolated to one council.
I am aware of Councils both in east cork and across the county are in similar situations.
The notion that we have thousands of vacant residential affordable home properties around the country, while many people are desperately looking for somewhere to live in our own communities of East Cork , this is an appalling situation.
Cllr Mulvihill went on to state that he believe that many of these houses could be transferred to a new rent-to-buy scheme. This would mean that people from Cobh, Midleton and Youghal and across the many villages in East Cork who need a place to live, and are on the affordable housing waiting list, but are hesitant to buy in the current housing market could move in to one of these units, pay rent on it, and depending on circumstances a few years down the line, purchase it outright. I can see no reason why this cannot happen immediately.
In conclusion the Cobh based Councillor stated For some reason, it is deemed preferable that houses are left vacant, depreciating in value and attracting all sorts of unwanted attention in many instances, when many people desperately need a home.
There is something seriously wrong with this, and the Labour Party Housing Spokesperson Ciaran Lynch will be pressing Housing Minister Michael Finneran on this matter in the Dail, at the earliest opportunity.
ENDS.
Cllr 
