€ 1m grant to return vacant homes to use

Sligo – Leitrim will benefit from € 1,000,000 in funding to return 60 vacant local authority properties to public use this year.

The move is a continuation of the Government’s commitment under the Social Housing Strategy to deliver 47,000 housing units across the country by 2021 at a cost of € 5.35 billion, according to Deputy Tony McLoughlin.

The Assistant Government Chief Whip said that this funding will create 44 new homes in Sligo and 16 in Leirtim for homeless households and families on housing waiting lists and it will greatly assist our local authorites in achieving a quick turnaround and re- letting times for vacant units.

“These measures will greatly reduce the number of vacant units in both Sligo and Leitrim, and our local authority will continue to be supported in the remediation of any such vacant units that occur.

“Since the introduction of the programme in 2014 valuable assistance has been provided in dealing with vacant units and significant progress has been made in tackling the backlog,” said Deputy McLoughlin.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney said: “My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in carrying out work that both improves the national housing stock and ensures that existing social housing stock is used efficiently.”