Middle income couples emigrate as they can’t afford homes – claim

Middle income couples are being “squeezed” and forced to give up work or emigrate because they cannot afford homes in Ireland, members of Westmeath County Council claimed at their April meeting.

They supported a motion calling for the abolition of local authority development levies to encourage and support construction of affordable houses.

The motion was moved by Cllr Andrew Duncan, who said “we have to kick-start the construction industry”.

“The increased cost of materials and labour, coupled with development levies, have left small developers afraid to build,” he said.

He asked that the council write to Minister of Housing Darragh O’Brien, asking that the contributions be waived temporarily and that the designation of affordable units in developments in the planning system or that have grants of planning be facilitated.

Cllr Louise Heavin said a good finance scheme to give developers the money to start was also needed.

Cllr Denis Leonard, who seconded the motion, agreed that such a “two pronged approach” was needed.

“We have created the working poor that do essential work for 50 years and never own their own home,” he said.

“We have to look after the people that get up early in the morning and go to work,” agreed Cllr John Dolan. Those people have the economy the way it is, they are fuelling the whole drive and they should benefit, he said.

Cllr Dolan contended that it does not pay people to work; if they don’t work, they get a house; that’s a dangerous place to be going as a country, he warned.

He said it was frightful that people earning €40,000 or €50,000 a year could not afford their own homes and even “affordable housing” is not always affordable as you are talking about €230,000 to €240,000 for them.

Cllr Frank McDermott said that relationships are breaking up because of the housing situation and told of three households in his area that became six households before Christmas.

Cllr McDermott described as “unnecessary and annoying” the number of planning applications that were turned down by Westmeath County Council in recent weeks.

Cllr Paddy Hill said he had seen about four planning applications turned down in the last month or so, for no good reason, some in Meath, “where you have to be a royal to get planning permission”.

If someone wants to build their own house in a housing crisis “why the hell aren’t they let do so?”.

Cllr Hill said he “never had a lot of time for development levies”. He accepted that Westmeath was not “the worst county” and that in neighbouring counties €12,000, €14,000 or €16,000 had “to be paid before you put a spade in the ground”.

“The squeezed middle is expanding every day,” said Cllr Ken Glynn. He said young people leaving university are emigrating because of the lack of affordable houses.

Cllr Bill Collentine said there should be more council housing grants, and he complained that people cannot get planning permission or sites in the country.

Cllr Tom Farrell said this was the first time the councillors had had a serious discussion about the “squeezed middle” and “they will be happy to know we are thinking about them”.

The cathaoirleach, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke said: “We all see it daily, people at their wits end trying to build a family unit.”

It was agreed that a letter encompassing Cllr Duncan’s motion and Cllr Heavin’s call for a finance model to help builders would be sent to the minister and to other local authorities.