Resident frustrated at vacant boarded-up houses in estates

THE presence of vacant, boarded-up houses in Rossfield and Dromcarra in the midst of a housing crisis is “disgraceful”, according to a Glenshane resident.

Two vacant houses are located on Rossfield Avenue, while two more are located in Dromcarra estate.

The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Echo that he is frustrated with the sight of the vacant houses, when they could be used to provide homes for people on the housing list.

“I think it’s a disgrace, with what’s going on at the moment with housing,” he said.

“Some of the houses have been vacant for a year or more.

“With what’s going on, I think the council should be doing something to get people into the houses, instead of them staying vacant.

“There’s people with gangs of children and they need houses. I’d like to see them being done up, with people living in them.

“It’s horrible to look at them being vacant.”

As reported in The Echo last year, there were 106 vacant homes within the council’s housing stock, representing one per cent of the overall number of homes within the stock.

Up to the end of November, the council had completed re-let works on vacancies arising in 169 council-owned social homes – an increase on the 139 properties re-let in all of 2021.

The Echo contacted South Dublin County Council to ascertain whether the aforementioned vacant houses are council stock, and what action, if any, can be taken to put them back into use if not.

In response, a council spokesperson said: “Works are ongoing for the properties concerned, which are at various stages of the relet process, with offers made and accepted for some of the properties, and the allocation process ongoing for others.”