BUNCRANA Sinn Féin Town Councillor Daren Lalor
has slammed a scheme where the local council
will lease properties for up to 10/20 years with
private landlords to alleviate the chronic
housing shortage in the town.
“Similar to other local authorities across the
state, Buncrana Town Council is in the process
of leasing houses from private developers on
10/20 year contracts,” Cllr Lalor said. “The
reality is we are now at a local level
witnessing the government bailing out and lining
the pockets of property developers at the
taxpayers’ expense in an attempt to find a quick
fix solution to our housing crisis.”
There are approximately 300 people on Buncrana
Town Council’s housing list.
“Surely within the current economic climate it
is a buyer’s market, so it makes no long term
economic sense to lease properties,” Lalor
continued. “Not only are we, at the taxpayer’s
expense paying dead money, but also creating a
two tier social housing programme.”
“I believe the Government strategy of soaking up
existing vacant properties is flawed as these
tenants, similar to those in voluntary housing,
will not be given the option to purchase their
homes in the future. Thus we have some local
authority housing tenants that can avail of
purchasing their home while others will be
unable to do so.”
“What is also very concerning is once the new
tenant accepts a property under the new leasing
scheme they are then deemed to have their
housing need met and are taken off the local
authority housing list,” Cllr Lalor warned.
“It appears now that the government is unwilling
to provide local authorities with the adequate
funding for turn key housing and is moving
towards a public-private partnership housing
scheme,” Cllr Lalor concluded. |
