Nama’s Leitrim, Longford assets unsuitable for social housing

None of the properties identified by Nama for social housing in Leitrim and Longford were deemed suitable by the local authorities, the agency has said.

Roscommon, Laois, Cavan and Tipperary also had very low acceptance of properties offered by the National Asset Management Agency. The agency said it had identified 6,575 properties for social housing, but authorities have only confirmed demand for 2,526.

None of the 35 properties in Leitrim and 31 in Longford, identified by Nama, were acceptable. In Laois and Cavan, of 98 and 49 properties respectively, only one was deemed acceptable in each area.

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Nama said it had identified 136 properties in Roscommon and only 10 had been confirmed suitable. Tipperary County Council approved 13 of the 161 properties offered.

Of the city authorities, Dublin accepted almost half of properties offered, while Cork City and Limerick City accepted one-third. Galway City Council confirmed demand for 202 of 203 properties.

A spokesman for Roscommon County Council said of the properties offered, 75 were identified between two “very tiny villages”, 32 in Ballintubber and 43 in Keadue, where there was “no demand whatsoever”.

“Our areas of demand would be similar to private demand; we want the houses where everybody else wants them,” he said. He also said Nama offered “all or nothing” and there was no option to buy only part of the developments.

Tipperary County Council said local authorities could not simply accept units as they are presented. “We must build sustainable communities in line with key government priorities, not just find quick-fix solutions to a complex problem,” he said.

Most of the units referred to by Nama, were not appropriate for reasons including location and high concentration of social housing locally. Additional factors included units not meeting standards, or construction regulations, cost, legal title and management issues. Nama itself withdrew some of the properties offered.

“Tipperary County Council is satisfied that it gave due consideration to any houses identified to it,” the spokesman said.

Asked about rejection of 48 of the 49 properties Nama had identified in the Cavan County Council area, a spokeswoman for the local authority said it had “no record of the properties to which you refer”. She said: “From time to time the council has enquiries from approved housing bodies or the Housing Agency regarding projects or developments in certain areas.

“These are considered based on demand, site location, compliance with sustainable communities criteria, concentration of existing social housing etc.”

Leitrim County Council said it had not had any recent discussions with Nama about social housing. It had also not deemed any property unsuitable nor stated it did not have a demand for such units.

“The council has a demand for social housing support in a number of locations in the county particularly in locations where there are supply difficulties eg in Carrick-on-Shannon,” a spokeswoman said.

Both Dublin City Council and Cork City Council said some properties offered by Nama were already sold, let or unavailable; 190 and 135 respectively.

Other properties were deemed unsuitable for reasons including size and poor construction standards, legal, title and management company issues, cost, existing tenants, or high concentration of existing social housing locally as well as technical, design and sustainable community reasons.

Limerick City Council deemed 55 of the 147 properties offered as suitable. It said in making its decision, it considered issues including housing need for the particular area, the condition of property, existing levels of social housing.

Repeated requests

Despite repeated requests, Longford and Laois county councils declined to comment on the figures.

A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said 1,600 Nama residential properties have been delivered so far for social housing use, including 1,241 completed properties and 359 that have been contracted and where completion work is on-going.

It also said a further 486 properties are considered as being active transactions with agreed terms or active negotiation by all parties concerned or where a detailed appraisal is being carried out. And an additional 440 properties are to be further appraised.