Leitrim needs affordable housing! - Leitrim County Council to outline need to housing department

Leitrim County Council is seeking funding for an affordable housing scheme, it was revealed at a meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon this week. 

The council is to prove to the housing department that it has "an identified affordable housing need" and "meets eligibility requirements for funding" a meeting was told this week. 

Cllr Maeve Reynolds had asked the council to begin the process of seeking expressions of interest for an affordable housing scheme and to "actively pursue it's delivery to meet local housing needs. 

The official response continued that "it is expected that an expressions of interest requesting information from potential candidates will be sought in the next month to determine genuine need."

Cllr Reynolds, who chaired the meeting, welcomed the news and added that the move may "open up the possibility of social housing - somebody in the €50,000 bracket that would not be eligible for social housing and may not be able to afford a market-value house; it's an option for an individual in that bracket. Anything that promote housing in the locality is to be welcomed."

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Head of housing, Mary Quinn, responded: "We did a previous expressions of interest received 60 applications but that was more county-wide whereas we are focusing on Carrick-on-Shannon. We hope to get that out in the next week or two and then assess them. By the end of January, we could prepare the case for the department. Then we would develop an affordable scheme with yourselves in Q1."

She added: "That would have to be adopted so all going well it would be March."

Justin Fannon, Director of services, said that proving that Leitrim has an affordable housing need is the first step that needs to be overcome. "The expressions of interest are also a big piece of the puzzle. We need to have a project that can be delivered; it wouldn't be a big scheme; maybe ten to fifteen houses to start with."

Cllr Sean McGowan welcomed the statement noting there "are people in that 'limbo situation'; I think it could be a very positive thing."

Cllr Irene Guckian-Rabbitte also supported the motion saying that "Leitrim definitely needs affordable, especially with rents going up."