Delays in social housing review is affecting families across Leitrim

The ongoing delays in the publication of the review on social housing is affecting families across Leitrim and the North West. People are finding themselves unable to secure housing because they do not qualify for social housing but do not earn enough to secure a mortgage.

Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim Eamon Scanlon raised the issue with the Taoiseach in the Dáil this week.

“I have been contacted by a huge number of people, and there are hundreds more across Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Roscommon, who have found themselves stuck in a situation where they cannot get approval for social housing because they earn more than the threshold allows, but who also fail to qualify for a mortgage because they don’t earn enough.  This is a ridiculous situation, and is actually penalising families across the North West”, said Deputy Scanlon.

“What makes no sense is the fact that the majority of them are paying more in rent than they would be if they had a mortgage – either privately or through a social housing programme.

“The Minister for Housing committed to a review of social housing eligibility in 2017, but this review is still being not published.  The current eligibility criteria for social housing is unrealistic and needs to be examined – otherwise these families will be left in limbo and will never be able to own their own homes.

“This review should be published without any further delay.  Unless action is taken, we are condemning people to the rental market for life.  This is deeply unfair and must be urgently addressed”.