Differing views on tenants’ rights to purchase scheme
THERE were differing views on a controversial report which recommends the scrapping of the tenant purchase scheme for council houses when it was discussed at the recent meeting of Louth County Council.
While a number of councillors supported the idea of doing away with tenants right to buy their home, others were opposed it.
Cllr Tommy Byrne was vehemently opposed to the suggestion in a recent UCD report on social housing, arguing that the tenant purchase scheme should be retained in order to give people the opportunity to own their own homes.
However, Cllr Mark Dearey voiced his opposition, saying that selling off houses had depleted the council’s housing stock.
Director of Service Mr Joe McGuinness pointed out that the local authority looses its control of a house once it is sold off which has implications for dealing with anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Tomas Sharkey felt that money received from the sale of houses under the tenant purchase scheme could be used for capital expenditure to build more houses. He felt the scheme had been ‘extremely successful’.
He also raised the recent report on social housing by UCD researches, asking if Louth was one of the counties surveyed. He complained about media reports which claimed that the rent for council houses is €30 per week and that people can ‘inherit’ council houses.
Cll Dearey responded that five counties were included in the research and centrally collected data was also used. He thought that the report authors Professor Michelle Norris and Dr Aideen Hayden had spoken very well when interviewed on RTE but Housing Minister Eoghan Harris had dodged key questions.
He pointed to the report’s finding that two-thirds of social housing in Ireland is now privately owned.
The report, commissioned by the Community Foundation for Ireland, also found that increased pressure on tenants securing private rented accommodation is a ‘ key driver of homelessness’; a problem that can only be resolved by providing more social housing,’ he noted.
Mr McGuinness told the meeting that the average rent in Louth is €58.50 per week but he expected it to rise to €60 before the end of the year.
He stressed that people don’t inherit council houses and that there are very specific requirements for someone to get succession of tenancy.