'Static' Laois social housing waiting list is not getting shorter
New houses are being built but more people seeking help from Laois County Council
More social houses are being built in Laois but it is not enough to bring down the waiting list numbers.
Laois County Council has confirmed that the list is "static" despite hundreds of new homes being delivered in recent years.
The Acting Chief Executive Simon Walton used the word to describe the situation, at the October 2024 meeting of Laois County Council.
"The waiting list is still at 1,610. The housing list is static," he said.
He said however that they are exceeding the Government's target for new Laois housing.
"Our target was to deliver 534 homes between 2022 and 2026. As of this month, 572 social homes have been completed and we still have two and a quarter years to go. We've passed the target set for us. This year we have 57 completions to date. Another 305 are under construction around the county. Another 273 units are at planning and design stage," Mr Walton said.
One year ago in October 2023, there were 1,677 people on the Laois housing waiting list.
It is almost two years since the income limit was raised in Laois from €25,000 for a single adult to €35,000 which allowed more working people to qualify for a home.
The limit rose from about €30,000 for a couple with several children, up to €42,000 for a family of three adults and four children.
Many of the new homes however are being delivered by social housing bodies like Clúid Housing, Sophia Housing, Oaklee Housing and Respond. They all retain permanent ownership of their homes, unlike council houses which can be eventually bought out by their tenants.