436 households are 12 years on social housing list

THERE are currently 436 households on the social housing list who have been twelve years or longer on the list, according to recent figures from South Dublin County Council.

The figures revealed at a recent council meeting show that out of the 436 households that are on the list, there are 24 households with a four-bedroom housing need.

The average waiting time on the list for all allocations completed in 2021 was 9.67 years.

Speaking with The Echo, councillor Kieran Mahon for Tallaght Central called these figures “staggering” and say that they reflect the current national housing crisis at a local level.

“Some of the figures that have jumped out at me over discussions here and at area meetings over the last period are that it is taking twelve weeks to process a housing application, it is taking six months to turn around a void back into the housing stock and there are approximately 10,000 people on the housing list between housing applications and HAP – that is effectively unchanged since 2014.

“These figures are quite staggering and will keep rising as the housing crisis deepens.

“Side by side with the housing crisis across the county we have some of the wealthiest corporations on the planet in South Dublin County Council.

“Ireland is Tax haven and the Council is providing the deck chairs on the beach, for free.”

Councillor Mahon added that there is a need to refocus on local authority housing to be made and kept affordable.

“Those problems are landing at this door, and we don’t have the resources and capabilities to deal with them,” Cllr Mahon added.

“That is obviously way outstripping the allocation of houses and the provision of houses, and we are continuing to see the spill over from the lack of real rent controls and the failures in the private market.

“There needs to be a return to building public homes on public land that are genuinely affordable.

“As well as building programme thresholds for Local authority housing needs be increased so more people can access it.

“There needs to be a ban on evictions and rent caps at reduced levels are needed.

“We need to end handouts to private landlords thru HAP etc, which is approaching €1 billion annually, and put that money directly into providing new homes.

“Unused land in private hands needs to be taken and used for housing and community development”.

So far this year, the council has received 553 new housing applications, including applications requiring homeless supports which will be likely to increase the wait time on housing lists.

The current average time in family hubs is approximately nine months, as staff in the council’s homeless unit organise emergency accommodation for those assessed as homeless through the Assessment and Placement Service.

In a statement regarding the wait times, the council stated: “The length of time households spend in homeless services varies greatly depending on a range of particular family circumstances including length of time on the housing list, length of time availing of homeless services prior to moving to a family hub, their level of engagement with support workers and whether or not the family is searching proactively for private rented accommodation through the HAP.”