SDCC housing list figures drop by over 3,500

By Mary Dennehy

ANSWERS have been demanded as to why 3,557 households were removed from South Dublin County Council’s housing list between May and October of last year.

According to the Department of Housing’s Summary of Social Housing Assessments for 2016, which was published in December, there are 5,562 households on the list in South Dublin County Council in October 2016.

This figure shows a significant decrease from the 9,119 households listed just five months earlier in May.

Dublin Mid-West Sinn Fein TD, and spokesperson on housing, Eoin Ó Broin, said: “In just five months, between May 2016 and October 2016, 3,557 households disappeared off the list.

“This could be partially explained by some households moving on to Housing Assistance Payment [HAP].

“However, a large number of households have been removed during the latest Housing Needs Assessment.

“The assessment, which was last conducted in 2013, involves the council contacting citizens on their list in order to assess their current housing needs.

“While the assessment will always result in some people withdrawing from the housing list, I cannot accept that almost a third of applicants no longer have a housing need.”

He added: “The reality is many households do not receive the correspondence from the council due to a change of address, which if they are dependent on the private rented sector can happen quite often.

“The result is many of the most vulnerable households in the council area end up being removed from the housing list and being completely unaware of their changed circumstances.

“I have written to [South Dublin County Council] asking it to explain the scale of the reduction.

“Unfortunately, it is simply not feasible, especially within the context of the current housing crisis, that over 3,000 households have had their housing needs accommodated in the space of five short months.”

Pressure on South Dublin County Council comes after it emerged that some 3,655 households were taken off Dublin City Council’s list, which has dropped from 22,400 to under 19,000.

It is believed that many of these people may have been removed for not replying to a housing needs assessment questionnaire, which was sent last July.

The Echo put a number of questions to South Dublin County Council but a reply was not received in time for print.