There have been only three different applications from private individuals to take part in the new social housing leasing initiative in the Ballina Electoral Area. Paul Benson, senior executive officer of Mayo County Council, told an electoral area meeting this week that “there have been three applications in Ballina to be part of the scheme, one for three houses, and two other applications consisting of two apartments each.”
The social housing leasing initiative was introduced by the Department of the Environment last year to give local authorities a new delivery mechanism for the provision of social housing, which would see local authorities enter into long term leases with private individuals to provide housing for those on the housing list. This programme has come in for criticism from a number of elected officials because it will see people being housed in privately owned rented accommodation rather than in public ownership, and people will not be able to enter into the tenant purchase schemes available to those accommodated in public housing projects.
“I don’t see how this is good for the people or for the council,” said Cllr Michelle Mulherin. “People will be renting and may never get the chance to buy somewhere that they may feel is home.”
Independent councillor Gerry Ginty also expressed concerns about the scheme. “This scheme has been initiated to help out greedy developers, who were given money by greedy bankers and helped out greedy politicians, it’s a bail out,” he said.
Ballina comes out OK in unfinished estate survey
Ballina does not have an oversupply of unfinished houses and estates, Paul Benson, senior executive officer for Mayo County Council added, stating there were 24 developments examined in the survey, which consisted of 912 houses. Of these 670 have been commenced, and of the 670 there were 535 completed and occupied.
“There are 55 completed and unoccupied, 44 not complete, and 18 at other stages of development”, said Mr Benson, adding that in the grand scheme of things, having only 55 vacant and 44 not complete was not too bad.
