COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, March 10, 2008
QUESTION NO. 4
QUESTION: Councillor C. King
To ask the Manager, has the recent slump in the private housing market had any significant impact either positive or negative on the numbers of applicants applying for the various affordable housing schemes/initiatives provided by S.D.C.C. through the "Property Path"?
REPLY:
South Dublin County Council received a total of 3271 applications for the Affordable Housing Scheme in 2007 and sold a total of 342 homes.
During the period 1st January 2007 to the 28th February 2007 ,a total of 665 applications were received for the Affordable Housing Scheme. Of this total 47% (313) applications were submitted by Dublin City Council on behalf of their applicants under the scheme and 53% (352) were submitted by applicants directly to South Dublin County Council, who were interested in living in the South Dublin County Council Area.
Prior to January 2008, applications submitted by Dublin City Council, were automatically added to South Dublin's affordable homes waiting list. The foregoing procedure has now changed. Since the beginning of January 2008, the Staff in Property Path contacted all applicants whose application was submitted by Dublin City Council in order to establish if they were seriously interested in living in the South Dublin County Council area. It has been established that on average 30% of the applications submitted via Dublin City Council, were in fact interested in purchasing in the South Dublin Co Co area, the remaining 70% are not interested in living in the South Dublin County Council area. The change in procedure gives a more accurate picture of the need for affordable housing within the jurisdiction of South Dublin County Council.
For the same period, January and February 2008, The Property Path has received 282 applications. This decrease in applications received appears to be due to a slight drop in interest in the scheme as properties on the open market have become more affordable and also due to a drop in the number of applications via Dublin City Council included on our list.
It should be noted that despite the decrease in house values on the open market, the majority of applicants approved will continue to depend on the Affordable Housing Scheme to secure their first home.
The level of interest in the Affordable Housing Scheme should increase in the next few months as a large number of affordable homes in developments where a part v agreement was in place since 2007 or prior, will become available for purchase. These homes will be advertised on the property path website shortly.