COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, September 10, 2018
QUESTION NO. 29
QUESTION: Councillor M. Ward
To ask the Chief Executive for a report on the development of a Vacant Home Strategy by South Dublin County Council as set out in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. This report should include a statement and relevant statistics on the following objectives set out in the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness
- 1: Complete a register of vacant units across the country,
- 2: Identify the number, location and reasons for longer term vacancies (i.e. over 6 months) in high demand areas
- 3: Set out a range of actions to bring vacant units back into use
REPLY:
South Dublin County has the lowest vacancy rate in the Country at 3.6% (as per the CSO 2016). In accordance with the National Vacant Housing Re-use Strategy 2018- 2021, each local authority was required to identify the scale of vacant homes and develop plans to address vacancy within their administrative area, by categorising those homes by location, ownership and reason for vacancy and subsequently to identify those properties that have the potential to be refurbished and made available for use. There are currently 52 vacant units identified across the County broken down by Area Committee as follows.
Tallaght - 13
Lucan - 8
Clondalkin -19
Rathfarnham/Templeogue/Terenure - 12
The Council’s Vacant Homes Officer acts as central advisory point for property owners in terms of providing advice, assistance and information on these schemes which are available to bring properties back to use. There are several initiatives in place with the aim of encouraging and enabling privately owned vacant homes to be brought back into use whether to the social housing or private rented market these include:
- Repair and Leasing Scheme
- Buy and Renew Scheme
- Long- Term Leasing
- RAS
- HAP
In addition the Housing Agency is engaging with banks, financial institutions and investors to purchase suitable units for social housing use.
The aim in the first instance would be to encourage property owners to engage with the Council and find solutions for the vacant home units without having to resort to the Compulsory Purchase process However Local Authorities do have a range of legislative powers available to deal with under- utilised and derelict properties for example through the Compulsory Purchase Powers and Derelict Sites Legislation.
Vacant properties can be reported via http://vacanthome.ie