75 social homes reactivated from vacancy in Louth in 2024
Louth County Council shifts towards “planned maintenance” model leading to faster re-letting and more consistent occupancy
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne has published figures showing nationally that 2,357 vacant social homes were brought back into active use in 2024 under the Voids Programme, including 75 social homes reactivated from vacancy in Louth.
The Voids Programme supports local authorities in preparing vacant homes for re-letting and builds on the ongoing work to tackle vacancy and dereliction to ensure vacant properties are re-used for housing.
Overall, in the last ten years, 535 social homes in Louth have been brought back in use under the Voids Programme. Comparing the 2024 figure to 2023, Minister Browne's department said that the fact that the overall voids figure of 75 for 2024 is slightly lower than 81 for 2023 is actually a positive sign – reflecting Louth County Council’s shift towards a planned maintenance model which leads to quicker repairs, continuous use, and faster re-letting of social homes.
The Department added that this trend is expected to continue in 2025 and will mean ongoing upkeep and more consistent occupancy. Minister Browne said:
“Beyond addressing the demand for social housing, renovating these unoccupied homes also benefits communities by preventing decline and abandonment, and I feel strongly about getting this done as fast as is possible for people. No one wants to see properties that should be homes lying idle.”
He added, “I commend Louth County Council for their partnership in returning these homes to active use over 10 years from 2014-2024. Their efforts will have a meaningful impact on 535 households.”