Far fewer social and affordable homes

JUST OVER 900 social and affordable homes were acquired by local authorities in the first six months of last year, according to figures from the Department of the Environment and Local Government.

Five local authorities did not acquire any social and affordable housing in the first half of 2009.

The numbers have plummeted since 2008, when more than 4,500 social and affordable homes were acquired by councils.

The severe drop was caused by the collapse in private residential development, and calls into question the Government decision to link the development of social housing with the private market.

The figures include houses and apartments acquired for affordable housing schemes and for social housing, both by local authorities and voluntary and co-operative organisations.

Affordable housing schemes allow qualifying homeowners to buy houses at reduced cost from their local council.

Social housing is provided to families and individuals who cannot afford to purchase their own home. They pay monthly rent to their local authority.

The 905 homes acquired by local authorities between January 1st and June 30th last year were provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2007.

This requires developers to pass on 20 per cent of a residential development to the local authority in which it is built, although in some cases funds or alternative accommodation can be provided in lieu.

Total social and affordable housing acquired in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was 113 for the first six months of 2009, down from a total of 525 in 2008.

Cork and Galway city councils and Longford, Wexford and Roscommon county councils did not acquire any social and affordable homes in the first half of 2009.

In 2007, Dublin City Council acquired 782 social and affordable homes, but in the first half of 2009 it had only 111. South Dublin County Council had 486 such properties in 2008, but had only 44 for the first six months of last year.

Fingal County Council acquired just under 400 social and affordable homes in 2008, but this dropped to 61 for January to June last year.

Take up of the local authority shared-ownership scheme also dropped sharply last year.

The scheme allows prospective homeowners to buy a proportion of a property and rent the remainder from the relevant local authority.

In 2002, 1,686 homeowners availed of the scheme, but only 75 such transactions were completed in the first half of 2009.