Galway housing crisis grows as waiting list hits 6,000
There are as many as 6,000 applicants on the waiting list for houses across Galway city and county – and it is taking seven months to fill vacant houses when they become available.
A combination of mortgage debt, social welfare cuts and escalating rents have been blamed for the huge number on the housing waiting list.
And a call has been made for a special task force to be established with Galway County Council that will accelerate the transfer of NAMA property units for social housing.
Fianna Fail candidate Donagh Killilea said that the waiting list had spiralled out of control and there was too much of a reliance on private rented property.
Mr. Killilea is a candidate in the Tuam electoral district in the May local elections and believes that the housing crisis could even worsen over the coming months.
He said that when local authority houses become vacant, it takes seven months turnaround time before they are rented again.
“The woefully slow pace of property transfers from NAMA is testament to the failure of Local Authorities to prioritise the issue and provide sufficient support to voluntary housing associations and local authorities.
“I also believe that the council’s both city and counties over-reliance on private rented property will soon blow up in its face. There should be no mistake about the fact that banks will call in the debt on many investment properties which are currently in private ownership. When that blows up, God only knows what point the waiting list figures will reach.
“Local Authorities have failed to put any flesh on the bones of its lofty 2011 housing strategy. Instead, we have had re-heated policy announcements and a failure to launch capital investment or help voluntary housing associations to finance projects.
“In Galway, applicants are being told their assessments will take three to five years before they even get to approval stage. The lack of staffing within the councils is pathetic and there is too much pressure on local area housing officers”, Mr. Killilea said.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.