LIMERICK City and County Council is appealing to owners of unoccupied residential properties to offer them as temporary homes for refugees fleeing war in Ukraine.
The call is part of a new government initiative, led by local authorities, to make use of unoccupied houses, apartments or holiday homes to house Ukrainian people and families.
From next Thursday, December 1, a tax-free payment of €800 per month will be paid to owners of properties used to house Ukrainian refugees.
More than 60,000 people have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine seeking safety and the vast majority need accommodation.
Under the new programme, Limerick City and County Council will take offers of houses, apartments or holiday homes for temporary accommodation, liaise with owners to assess suitability, and arrange for their use .
Property owners can offer homes at offerahome.ie or by contacting the local authority in which the property is located.
Those who offer a property can expect to be contacted by Limerick City and County Council‘s Ukrainian Response Accommodation Team within five working days of making their offer.
A member of the team will carry out an assessment of the property shortly after. The assessment is to ensure the property is suitable and to get some details so it can be matched to the most appropriate person or family.
Anybody who offers a property will be able to check the status of their offer at any stage through the offerahome.ie website.
This is a call for stand-alone properties that are not occupied by others. Properties should be in habitable condition and, ideally, be available for at least six months.
While rent will not be payable to those who offer properties, a tax-free recognition payment of €800 per month is available from the Department of Social Protection to the property owner if occupied by Ukrainians through the Offer a Home initiative.
Sonja Reidy, Ukrainian Response Accommodation Lead with Limerick City and County Council, said that the people and communities of Limerick have shown incredible support for the people of Ukraine.
“We know that many are anxious to help where they can so we are appealing to anybody who has a house, apartment, or holiday home to consider offering it to those who need shelter and safety from the war in Ukraine.
“We understand that it can be daunting to offer a property to someone you don’t know. Limerick City and County Council will work with you throughout the process and will be on hand to offer support to you and your guests.
“If you have a property that is otherwise going to be empty this winter, please consider offering it for those fleeing the war in the Ukraine and need a safe home for a while,” she added.
More details here
