Clongeen family left in over-crowded house while next door sits empty

Three generations of one family are living in a over-crowded council home while the house next door has sat empty for the past two months. Aontu candidate Jim Codd has slammed the slow turn around on re-occupying council houses following a vacancy.

“It’s becoming all too common to see several generations of one family living in cramped situations these days,” Mr Codd said. “Three generations of the Smith family are living in one house in Clongeen while the house next door has sat empty for over eight weeks. This family, like many others across this county, are living in over cramped conditions while vacant council houses are reconditioned at snail-pace.”

“The government will tell you that everything possible is being done to tackle the national housing crisis. They’ll tell you this despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Over one million Irish people are homeless, stuck on housing waiting lists or racked by mortgage and rent increases. Last year, Wexford County Council claimed to have added fifty new homes to their supply, most of them acquired. Despite promises of a major public housing building programme, Wexford managed to only produce a handful of new buildings.”

“Three generations of the Smith family live under one roof, deprived of privacy and space. Will it become four? How can it change with current government policy? The average house price in this state is 7.7 times the average salary. Average rents are €1,100 per month. Council houses are not being built at any sufficient rate and seem to be constructed sparsely to benefit the reputations of failed politicians.”

“In the 30s, the 50s, and the 80s in tough economic times social and affordable housing were built at far higher rates. Aontu believes that if the state invested €2.2 billion in capital spending a year the 10,000 housing units per year objective of the Oireachtas Housing Committee could be surpassed. Local Authority must be tasked with the development of mixed income public housing estates with Affordable Purchase homes, Affordable Cost rental and Social housing. One in every thirty three houses in the state is vacant. It’s up to the Government to introduce grants to make those in need of repair habitable and tax those who refuse to utilise their stock.”