THE housing crisis has taken a macabre turn in Limerick with families so desperate to secure accommodation that they are monitoring the death notices in the hope of being put forward for council houses of the recently departed.
Newly elected Sinn Fein TD, Maurice Quinlivan says he had around 200 inquiries about a house in Kileely after it was boarded up by people looking to put their names down for it.
According to Limerick City and County Council, current active housing projects will deliver 744 housing units across Limerick. However, the lack of housing has already pushed vulnerable families to take drastic measures.
“My office is inundated with people who simply have nowhere to go. We are dealing with people who sleep in their cars, families who live with relatives in very overcrowded conditions,” Deputy Quinlivan explained.
“We have many cases of people contacting our office when they hear of a death or the passing of a neighbour to see if they can be put forward for the accommodation. This is very depressing but it highlights the stress and drastic things people will do to get accommodation.
“Council policy is not to contact the relative of the deceased person for at least six weeks. But people are now so desperate for housing that they think if they are first in they might get the house.”
But Deputy Quinlivan pointed out that this is not how it works.
“The vast bulk of houses are allocated on the basis of need, not who is first in for it. Contacting our office to say ‘so and so’ has died and can I be put forward for this house can be very stressful for all of us dealing with housing issues, many of which can often be very complex cases.”
by Alan Jacques
