Plan to refurbish and relet 70 vacant houses

Local councillors were dismayed to learn that at least one in three offers of social housing in Cavan were turned down by applicants.

The rate of refusal, at 36%, cllrs were previously told, has since dramatically reduced.

Director of Services Eoin Doyle informed elected members at their January monthly meeting that the council had completed a “large number” of successful housing allocations just before Christmas.

He said the refusal rate in Cavan was a “moving figure”, though admitted that, when the information was last shared with councillors, the rate was “quite high”.

Mr Doyle was then asked what reasons for refusal are typically given. They related, he said, to simple decisions like a person not wanting to move to a specific area, issues around car parking availability, and the individual house on offer.

“There are a myriad of different reasons.”

He accepted it was “disappointing” to have people on the housing list turn down housing offers particularly when such “high demand” exists, but said the council works within the structures and offers housing to the next eligible person in line.

Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly and party colleague Patricia Walsh expressed their frustration.

As did Fine Gael’s Madeleine Argue, who noted that people were refusing houses where they had previously indicated a preference to live in that area.

Cllrs Craig Lovett (FF) and TP O’Reilly also commented.

Vacant houses

Meanwhile, Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley asked what the status was with regard six new social houses built in the village of Butlersbridge, if they had been let, and if not “why not?”

He also asked the council executive to confirm its housing targets for 2023.

Mr Doyle told councillors that the authority intends to return 70 previously vacant houses back into circulation in 2023 under the 'Housing for All' programme.

He said that there are now around 30 vacant houses countywide, down from a figure of more than 120 at one stage.

Mr Doyle said the authority was in 'year three' of a five-year programme, which contained a number of ambitious goals. He said the hope was, if work continued at the “pace” displayed up to now, the council will have no vacant properties on its books in the near future.

Much of the work planned, he said, is dependent on grant aid.

Retrofitting is being carried out on 10 properties, with 10 more complete, with works planned on four others, said Mr Doyle. The reason for the delay on the last four was due to getting a “certified provider” to carry out the work. But it was a “national delay”, not just one affecting Cavan, highlighted Mr Doyle, before moving to answer a question on hold ups around site acquisition.

He said such deals can often be “complex”, and can take time to complete before plans can be put in place and formal tendering processes engaged.

“It can be a lengthy process,” he observed.

Mr Doyle commented on how design teams are being put under “extraordinary pressure” to meet deadlines.

Regarding funding, Mr Doyle stated the council were “looking for all the money we can get” to boost its ability to kickstart housing projects.