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Dungarvan councillor calls for more social housing for west Waterford

Dungarvan councillor calls for more social housing for west Waterford
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The Dungarvan area has a vastly lower supply of social housing units than the city.

That's according to councillor Thomas Phelan who raised the issue at this month's district council meeting.

The current cut-off point for a single person seeking council housing is €35,000 and Councillor Phelan says there is a significant difference in supply for west Waterford.

"By my calculations and based on emails circulated by the Housing Department every week," he told the meeting, "there were only 24 properties advertised on Choice-based Letting (CBL) in the Dungarvan/Lismore district last year.

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"That's 11.5% of all CBL properties across the city and county, in contrast to 72% of council CBL properties advertised in the Metropolitan area and 16% in the Comeragh district last year.

"So, that's less than one house per fortnight last year being available on CBL in this district."

The government's ban on evictions is due to be lifted on the 31st of this month and Councillor Phelan compared the situation here to that in Hong Kong.

"I'm very worried that when the full effects of lifting the eviction ban are felt," he said, "the length of time that people are on the housing list is going to get longer and longer.

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"I was reading a CNN article bemoaning the fact that people in Hong Kong are waiting at least half a decade, but here we have people waiting more than a decade for housing.

"Are we any closer to allowing housing applicants who have been assessed to have a one-bedroom need to be allocated a two-bedroom property within a reasonable number of years if a one bedroom property has not become available?"

The lack of supply for one-bedroom social houses continues to be a big issue across Waterford.

"Given how scarce these one-bedroom units are," Councillor Phelan continued, "and given that single applicants have to wait the longest on the housing lists... we have three properties being advertised on CBL for Monksfield at the moment - none of them are one-beds.

"I've got people coming to me left, right and centre and having to be told, 'Sorry, you're only being assessed for a one-bed so you haven't even a hope for applying for a house there on CBL in Monksfield.'"

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