Thousands of families face ten year wait for housing

This is despite the fact that the waiting list has been slashed by over 1,500 in the space of eight months, following a comprehensive Housing Need Assessment undertaken by the City Council since April.

The local authority has confirmed that the average minimum wait for a house is eight years for a three bedroom house on the east side of the city, while some are waiting an average of 11 years for a one or two bedroom unit on the west side.

City officials believe that a significant number of applicants have left the city or emigrated from the country since making their original applications for accommodation.

Last week there were 3,416 households on the waiting list – a significant decrease since the number exceeded the 5,000 mark early this year.

The highest demand is for smaller units on the west side of the Corrib, mainly among retired couples or single people, where the average waiting time remains at 11 years. Of the 3,416 on the list, 1,334 are sole applicants.

Galway City and Bray Town have the longest waiting times in the country whereas, by contrast, a person seeking a council house in Cavan only faces a two month wait.

The length of time people have to wait for accommodation comes as no surprise to homeless charity Threshold, who warn people that they will have to wait years to get a local authority home.

“We always tell people that they will be waiting,” said a Threshold spokesperson yesterday. “Although more Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) properties are coming on board, which offer a more realistic option for some people. The problem with the RAS scheme, however, is that you don’t have long-term security of tenure.”

 For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.