Boarded up homes on Connaught St, Phibsboro earlier this year
Readers may recall the most recent Census figures estimating that there are approximately 183,000 vacant homes in Ireland, excluding holiday homes.
More than 20,000 of these are in Dublin.
Readers may also recall how 7,941 people were registered as homeless in Ireland, in June 2017.
Further to this…
Olivia Kelly, in The Irish Times, reports:
Just seven Dublin property owners have applied for grants of up to €40,000 to allow their rundown vacant houses be refurbished for homeless families.
The Repair and Leasing scheme was established 10 months ago under the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland plan to tackle the housing and homelessness crises.
A fund of €32 million has been allocated to the scheme this year with a target of bringing 800 homes into use by the end of the year.
However, to date no homes have been secured in Dublin, and contracts on just seven houses have been signed nationally, but none have yet been refurbished and handed over to local authorities.
Vacant property owners turn down €32m grant scheme (The Irish Times)
Pic: Cuffe Street
I know there may be complicated back stories for some of these, but wouldn’t it be grand to own/inherit a house in Dublin that you didn’t need to even bother renting or selling. You’re just that wealthy.
Thanks
Maybe there’s just no votes in the homeless
Does the Fair Deal scheme add to these numbers?
Did someone say Vacant Property Tax? I think I heard Vacant Property Tax. Pretty sure someone was saying something about a Vacant Property Tax.
I believe you are mistaken, sir. Now just put your hands together behind your back, there we go, and come join us here in this room. We won’t be long.
It’s just so obvious isn’t.
Where’s the dope Coveney these days?
Managing his property investment portfolio?
The excuse given is “we can’t implement a vacant property tax for constitutional reasons”.
And then I keep hearing “we will be implementing a vacant property tax in 2018”
What’s going on there- is the constitution going to expire next year?
There’s a difference between the derelict property levy and a vacant house tax.
The always impressive Citizens Information website sets it out.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/planning_and_development_in_ireland/copy_of_derelict_sites_and_dangerous_structures.html
And giving Local Authorities responsibility in these matters will achieve the square root of f…
We simply must redouble our efforts and throw more money at property owners.
Squat the vacant derelict properties – see how quick the authorities start moving…
All these carrots are not working, would you ever just take out the big feckin’ stick!
Farmers lost land to CPOs because the transport requirements for people and businesses were inefficient and costing the govt too… overall losing the country multi-millions every year.
This is no different.
Time for CPOs
+1
and if someone wants to take a case all the way to the supreme court to test the property rights v good of society issue in the constitution then we’ll all be the better for having that clarified
+1
And the Kenny Report + hefty disincentives to bank undeveloped land.
An end to land and property speculation for all time.
+1 to all
The problem is that neither FG/FF give a rats ass, if they did real steps would have been taken a long time ago to address this issue.
The properties should be seized and converted into emergency accommodation & social/affordable housing by local authorities.
Ha
No surprise
You’d want the 40k just to complete the bloody application, vetting/ testing, inspection, completion and compliance
And sign off
If €40k isn’t enough for you to make something of the house then you can’t afford it and a CPO would be doing you a favour. They should change the terms of the grant offer to either take the money and have the house on the rental/sales market in X amount of months or it’s CPOed. The councils should also be involved as a readymade manager of the property, taking over responsibility for renting it out if the owner doesn’t want the hassle. It’s a win-win.
+1
Exactly, Housing should be in the hands of the already established Councils
Not some recent quango action committees and mouthy activists
Additionally, that renovate & leaseback is no use in Dublin and other urban centres
But it’s ideal for rural towns and villages
40k wouldn’t make a dent in a derelict property.
Anything that has been left unoccupied for any period of time would require a multiple of that.
Can’t see the argument for a vacant property tax.
There is already a property tax.
The reason there’s a housing crisis is because of government inaction and pandering of LA Councillors to vested interests – NIMBYS who already have their properties.
Even by Broadsheet standards this is a Fascist thread. If I own a house that I choose to keep empty then it’s my bloody right to do so. Now take your utopian ideals, go to bed and then try to wake up tomorrow in the real world children.