Councillors concerned about cost of renting in Westmeath

The Housing Assistance Payment Scheme is not working, according to members of Westmeath County Council.

Speaking at the annual estimates meeting, Cllr Vinny McCormack said the scheme was not fit for purpose. Tenants have to pay €400 a month to the landlord on top of the rent supplement and €70-100 a week to the council in differential rent. He called for the abolition of the differential rent scheme as “a meaningful first step”. Cllr McCormack called on the council to bring vacant and derelict houses back into use, build more affordable houses and provide serviced sites to help young families build a home.

Cllr Johnnie Penrose said small villages are “dying on their feet, being forgotten, their shops, post offices and schools closing”. “There is land available, buy it and put serviced sites on it,” he said.

Cllr John Shaw said that people on HAP are paying huge rents in the private sector while Cllr Andrew Duncan said that the HAP scheme was not in touch with open market rents and with the private rental sector shrinking all the time, the situation is worsening.

Cllr Paddy Hill said that, in the last two weeks, two of his constituents had been offered houses to rent at €1,250 a month. They are only approved for €800 under HAP and have to come up with the balance.

Cllr John Dolan said that many people whose families are reared would be happy to downsize and move into an OPD, freeing up their homes for new families. He was invited to let the council know of any such individuals as they had not received any such requests.

Cllr Dolan welcomed the new affordable housing scheme in Athlone, but pointed out that the houses are still costing €260,000, which many cannot afford.

Cllr Hazel Smyth felt that the 10% rates levy introduced in this year’s budget for vacant buildings was too little. The owners of those properties should be encouraged to bring them back into use, she said.

Cllr Paul Hogan said that derelict sites levies were a source of income that was not being tapped into by the council.

They were advised that it would be difficult for property owners to pay rates on a property that is not generating income and if the 90% waiver on rates on vacant properties were abolished, it would not significantly affect the council’s coffers. The purpose of the derelict site levy is to aid the elimination of dereliction, not create a source of income. Income does materialise and the council realises it when the property is demolished or renovated.

Jimmy Dalton, head of finance, said the council will press on with constructing houses and acquiring more land. He suggested that schemes such as Croí Cónaithe will help. Applicants can get up to €30,000 to do up a vacant property, even ones that have not been residential before. They can get a further €20,000 if the building is structurally unsound and dangerous.

It is proposed under the housing for all programme to provide 745 social housing homes and 280 affordable housing homes in Westmeath by 2026. Sixty four social homes were completed by the end of October: 30 at Royal Canal, Mullingar, 24 at Garran Gael, Kinnegad, and 10 at Lakepoint, Mullingar. There are another 104 units expected to be completed by the end of this year and another 167 in 2023. Eleven more schemes, comprising 438 units, are due to begin next year.

A development at Lissywollen, Athlone, will provide 576 dwellings, with a 30% social housing mix, to be delivered on a phased basis from 2023 to 2026.

Ukraine

The council are helping to house Ukrainian refugees. There are currently 1,100 refugees in serviced accommodation and 200 accommodated privately in Westmeath. The council have assessed 178 pledged properties in the county, of which there are 30 remaining suitable properties and matching with refugees is ongoing. They have identified a number of vacant buildings that may be suitable for multi-occupancy accommodation. The council have facilitated more than 350 refugees in this matter to date.