COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
QUESTION NO. 11
QUESTION: Councillor Shane Moynihan
To ask the Chief Executive for an update on the number of vacant council units, and the time being taken to fill units on average and the reasons for the length of time taken to fill these units.
REPLY:
Our housing maintenance section is currently managing re-let works on a total of 38 vacant social housing properties in the Lucan/Palmerstown/Fonthill electoral areas as follows:
- 10 properties where works are complete, with an average period of 32.8 weeks vacant from surrender to the completion of works
- 17 properties where re-let works are in progress and scheduled to be complete by the 11th October 2021
- 5 properties awaiting quotations from contractors (all projected to be complete by the end of October 2021, based on an assessment of works required)
- 6 properties awaiting engineers' reports to allow confirm the scope and scale of works required
Based on the number of properties where works are complete, in progress and at quotation stage, the average time from surrender to works complete is expected to be around 20.5 weeks.
The allocations processes are underway for many of the properties above, with our allocations team prioritising properties currently or soon to be vacant.
During August 2021, several longer-term vacancies were successfully allocated following intensive efforts over previous weeks to source suitable tenants for properties that had been subject of estate management issues, significant maintenance requirements and multiple refusals. This has now lowered the number of longer-term voids in our housing stock and reduces the negative impact of longer-term vacant properties on local areas.
Our housing allocations, maintenance and estate management teams are engaged in a review of all their inputs relating to the re-let process, including the surrender process, appointment of contractors, delivery schedule of works, the allocation of properties to tenants and the use of the new integrated housing system, to increase efficiencies and improve our average re-let times.
The most recent cumulative national study across all local authorities showed a national median period of vacancy (re-let time) of 46 weeks (Overview of Vacant/Void Social Housing in Local Authorities by the Local Government Audit Service VFM Unit, July 2021).