Claims Longford people considering quitting jobs to get on housing ladder
A growing number of people are being faced with the prospect of quitting their jobs in order to qualify for social housing, a meeting heard last week.
Local politicians were told of the unpalatable financial dilemma many single parents and young families find themselves in as a result of the country's broader housing crisis.
Cllr Peggy Nolan led calls for a housing applications appeals board to be set up to to allow a family’s personal circumstances outside of income to be considered when applying for social housing and accompanying supports.
“There are people in this town who are a couple of hundred euros over, they don't qualify for a mortgage, they are hard working people and they are trying to get on the social housing list and yet they are precluded,” she said.
“As far as I am concerned the personal circumstances of people has to be taken into account.
“If they are €1,000 or €500 over the threshold, surely there must be some way that us as elected representatives should be able to speak up on their behalf.”
Cllr Paul Ross, who tabled the motion alongside his Fine Gael party colleague, said the current parameters surrounding the social housing support structure was forcing many to consider drastic financial decisions of their own.
“The huge frustration is the blunt instrument of income only,” he said.
Cllr Ross said the situation was made worse by spiralling rental charges across Longford's private housing market.
“The rents in Edgeworthstown now are €1,100 for a two bedroom flat and people simply cannot afford it,” he said.
“Without some form of review of this we are going to have people who don't get on the social housing list and their only option is to stop working which is the last thing we want to see.”
Independent Cllr Gerry Warnock there was nothing new in a crisis that underlined the state of Ireland's broader housing sector.