COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (1)

Monday, September 15, 2008

QUESTION NO. 1

QUESTION: Councillor J. Hannon

"To ask the Manager to report on the number of Council owned dwellings currently unoccupied, the average length of time unoccupied, the reasons, and, given the number of applicants on the List, what action is being taken to minimise the period during which dwellings are unoccupied?"

REPLY:

The average length of time it takes Housing Department to prepare a house for re-let is approximately 12 weeks.

Other houses, depending on the level of repairs required may take a longer time to repair, especially in the case of fire damage or vandalism.

In addition to the above , vacant houses are frequently targeted by anti- social elements and subject to break -in ( despite presence of heavy shuttering ) which further lengthens the period before a house may be released for re -allocation to tenants.

At present Housing Maintenance are repairing (using a combination of direct labour and contractors)  and handing over an average of 2 / 3 houses per week to Housing Allocations Section for re -let to new tenants.

Unfortunately these two /three houses are usually almost immediately replaced by another two or three houses which have become vacant for a variety of reasons and require to be repaired by Housing Maintenance Section.

While there are therefore an average of 80 plus houses vacant in the County at any one time, they are not the same 80 plus houses.  Repairs and allocation of houses are taking place constantly as are surrenders, fire damage, vandalism and abandonments.

Every effort is made by Maintenance Section AND Allocations Section to have houses repaired AND allocated to new tenants as quickly as possible.

It should be noted that it is in the direct and specific interest of Housing Department to turn around and allocate houses in the quickest possible timeframe as to do otherwise results in major additional costs in the provision of security and shuttering and indeed in the re-repair of vandalised houses.

It should also be noted that Allocations Section frequently experience serious difficulties in allocating houses as on occasion persons on the housing waiting list refuse one or more offers of accommodation made to them, this often results in fully repaired houses remaining shuttered and empty while other prospective tenants are sought and offers made.  When a dwelling becomes vacant, Allocations endeavour to source a suitable tenant in order to minimise the vacant period.  To date this year 134 offers on re-let units have been made to tenants and 34 refusals have been received.