190 of 207 vacant homes owned by Limerick City and County Council were unavailable for occupancy last October.
That’s according to a survey undertaken by the Sunday Independent newspaper which established that one of the unoccupied houses has been vacant since December, 2004.
in addition to the 5,430 houses in its ownership, the council was also leasing a further 164 homes from private landlords which were made available to council tenants.
The survey of city and county councils last October established there were about 3,900 vacant local authority homes, representing 2.7per cent of the entire local authority housing stock.
A spokesman for the Department of Housing said local authorities will be given extra resources to recruit vacant housing officers and to compulsory purchase up to 2,500 vacant properties in the next four years. Other initiatives are planned to unlock the potential of vacant homes — whether privately or State-owned.
“Addressing vacancy and making the best use of our existing stock is crucial in light of the current housing crisis. Housing for All, the new housing plan for Ireland to 2030, sets out how the Government is prioritising the area of vacancy and efficient use of existing stock,” the spokesman added.
