Calls for transparency on vacant housing in Kildare
Newly built houses in Youghal Ireland
WITH property vacancy on the rise while the country endures a housing crisis, local authorities must do everything they can to ensure social properties are occupied and none left vacant.
Cllr Chris Pender put forward a motion calling on Kildare County Council to contact all Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) operating within the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District, seeking detailed information on housing vacancies.
The motion asks that each AHB provide data on the number of vacant properties they currently hold in the district, the length of time those properties have remained unoccupied, the reasons for the vacancies, and a copy of their current voids and vacancy policy.
In response, an administrative officer in the Housing Department, stated that the decision to write to AHBs lies with the elected members. If the motion is agreed upon, the council will proceed with contacting the AHBs.
She noted that due to the large number of AHBs — some managing only a small number of units — it is recommended that correspondence be limited to the larger bodies.
The motion was widely supported by other elected reps and seconded by cllr Suzanne Doyle.
Cllr Pender said in response to the report: “I would like to get a full picture of where vacancy is at in the MD,” and referenced the 2 per cent vacancy that has already been accounted for, fearing there might be many more.
“I am happy to write to large AHBs first,” he said, but detailed that all of them must be included in this data.
Seconder, cllr Suzanne Doyle, suggested that AHBs send the MD a monthly report on vacant properties in the area, to which cllr Pender agreed.
Cllr Pender’s motion comes after ongoing concerns about housing availability and the need to ensure that existing properties are being utilised effectively in the face of high demand.
