Sinn Féin representative Shaun Tracey has said Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has confirmed that approximately 300 housing units in NAMA’s portfolio have been identified for consideration for social housing in the council area.
Mr Tracey has said the council must be proactive and lobby the government to release these homes to the local authority to be allocated to housing applicants on the waiting list.
Mr Tracey said; “There are 4,389 housing applicants on the waiting list in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, one of the longest waiting lists in the state. Many of them are living in unsuitable or overcrowded accommodation for up to ten years.
“In fact I am aware of one constituent who has been on the waiting list for nearly eleven years and still has no indication of when she and her family might be housed.
“The recently introduced rent caps are causing further despair for those waiting for social housing and are forcing many families to uproot from their home communities.
“It is imperative that the council does all in its power to house as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
“The council has confirmed to my party colleague Deputy Dessie Ellis that NAMA in conjunction with the Housing Agency has identified approximately 300 units to from its portfolio to be considered for social housing in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown administrative area.
“It is incredible to think that there are roughly 300 empty housing units in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown in perfectly good condition while there are thousands desperately waiting to be housed.
“I would urge the council to join with Sinn Féin in lobbying the government to release these homes so that the can be put to good use.”
