Concern at low take up for online letting scheme

HOMES in Fermoy, Mallow and Rathcormac have topped the list of properties in north Cork viewed through an online system for social housing applicants.

Under the Choice Based Letting (CBL) scheme the 1,574 approved applicants who had requested they be housed in North Cork have been given access to the online viewing system that ‘went live’ at the tail end of November.

It allows people on the housing waiting lists to view vacant local authority properties across the region and express their interest in moving into them.

However, figures released by the authority have shown that just 852 applicants in North Cork, or 54% of those eligible to use the system, have logged onto it using their personal identification number (PIN).

The figures for the council’s West and South divisions, both of which joined the system, were also less than had been anticipated, standing at 53% and 61% respectively.

Outlining the figures to councillors at their July northern area meeting, council officials said that a total of 119 properties had been advertised county-wide since the system went live.

They said these had generated a total of 92,798 views and 8,819 expressions of interest, with 68 of the 70 homes offered to applicants being accepted.

The North Cork division was the busiest of the three, with 50 offers made, 48 of which had been accepted.

The three most viewed properties in the division were at Rathowen in Fermoy (1,260 views & 118 expressions of interest, Woodland Drive in Mallow (1,164 & 165) and Shanowen in Rathcormac (1,013 & 59).

While the number of views were high, council officials did express a certain disappointment at the low percentage take up of the system.

This despite the fact that the authority had provided access to the system for the public at local libraries and in its regional offices.

Some councillors also expressed their concerns about the low take up, with some suggesting that lack of access to the internet or the reluctance of older people to go online may be to blame.

One councillor suggested the authority stage a county-wide ‘road show’ aimed at encouraging more people to use the CBL system.

Officials said they would consider the suggestion, but in the meantime intend conduct a survey of applicants to find out why so many are not using the system.