Decision 'imminent' on Tipperary's first affordable housing schemes in Clonmel
Tipperary County Council is awaiting approval from the Department of Housing on two Clonmel affordable housing schemes totalling 50 homes
Tipperary County Council says a decision is “imminent” on the applications it has submitted to the Department of Housing seeking approval for the county's first two affordable housing schemes proposed for Clonmel.
The council's Director of Housing Jonathan Cooney gave this update on the progress of the Council's efforts to make 50 affordable houses available for purchase in Clonmel at Tipperary County Council's April meeting last week.
“We will inform the elected members once the decision is made by the Department,” he assured councillors.
One of the proposed schemes is an estate of 30 homes and the other will comprise 20 homes. The affordable houses will be located in privately developed housing estates currently under construction in the town.
They will be for middle income people who earn too much to qualify for social housing but not enough to buy a home in the private housing market. The scheme enables those who qualify for it to purchase a home at a price lower than the market value.
If the Department of Housing approves the Council's application, Mr Cooney said the Council will issue a “call out” to people interested in buying a home under the affordable housing scheme to apply to the Council.
He indicated that if the number of interested parties, who qualify for affordable housing, is higher than the number of available homes, the Council may have to choose the successful applicants through a lottery.
The Director of Housing Services made his comments in response to queries from Independent Newcastle Cllr Mairín McGrath and Fianna Fáil Cllr Siobhán Ambrose.
Cllr McGrath said the affordable housing schemes were “well overdue” and will be “very welcome” for Clonmel and South Tipperary.
She urged the Council to use every opportunity to expand affordable housing to other small towns in the county to meet the housing needs of young people.
“We really need to get moving. We are really falling behind other local authorities who have schemes up and running.”
Cllr Ambrose said the scheme of 30 affordable homes will be located on Clonmel's Coleville Road while the other 20 homes will be located at Moangarriff, Clonmel.
She highlighted how there was also a demand for affordable homes from constituents she was working with who are tyring to get back on the housing ladder following the breakdown of their marriages.
The Council, meanwhile, plans to submit applications for two affordable housing schemes for Nenagh once it finalises the Part V planning for both. This is the designation of 20% of a private housing project for social and affordable housing.