Details of affordable homes becoming available provided

Details of homes coming available in Mullingar and Athlone under the Respond, Affordable Housing and Cost Rental schemes were provided at the April meeting of Westmeath County Council, in response to queries from members.

Jackie Finney of the housing department said 21 homes are being allocated at Dun na Ri, Athlone, and a further 50 units in Phase 1 and 80 in Phase 2 are in the pipeline. Nine affordable homes were provided at Bower Hill, Athlone.

In Mullingar, 43 homes are to be made available under the affordable housing scheme at Harbour Meadows and that application is currently with the Dept of Housing for approval, Ms Finney said.

In Moate, 22 homes are being allocated in Gort an Locha.

The relatively new cost rental scheme offers a long-term, secure tenancy. Under it, Tuath had 46 units in the 213-unit development at Farranshock, Mullingar and another 15 are planned there.

“The demand for the 46 Tuath put on the market has been so high they have come forward with another scheme,” Ms Finney stated.

She pointed out that the properties and the rents can be viewed on the Tuath website.

Another cost rental application has been submitted for six units at Drumaconn in Athlone.

In Water Street, Castlepollard, work is starting on eight houses.

The council have two staff members carrying out inspections of private rented accommodation. “It is resource intensive and there is a long list which we are trying to get through, we don’t want people waiting,” Ms Finney said. She invited councillors to submit any cases about which they were concerned and “we will follow up on them”.

Ms Finney assured the members that the council are definitely matching need to the pipeline. They always look at the applications that come in, many of which are for one- and two-bedroom units.

However, she accepted that there is a need for four-bedroom houses. Now that the council are involved at an earlier stage in housing developments, they may be better able to influence what comes over the line, Ms Finney said. That would include houses for people with disabilities and larger houses, she stated.