Could modular homes be the answer to solving Mayo’s housing crisis?
Members of the Strategic Policy Committee for Housing have agreed to explore the feasibility of using modular homes to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing in County Mayo, as pressure mounts amid the deepening housing crisis.
The issue was raised during a wider discussion on affordable housing options, when Cllr Harry Barrett voiced his concerns over the price points on homes being delivered under the Affordable Purchase Scheme.
Cllr Barrett has previously expressed his dismay that affordable units under a potential scheme being assessed for Castlebar could cost up to €300,000.
He argued that this price point remains well beyond the reach of many young working families across Mayo.
“Bought-in solutions like this will lead us to a point where many young families, or a large cohort of working poor in this county, will not be able to afford [a home],” he said.
Against that backdrop, he called on the committee to examine whether Mayo County Council could take a direct role in delivering affordable units.
This led Cllr Barrett to table a motion calling for the council to explore a pilot modular housing scheme for the county.
“Modular seems to be the way to go. There are some excellent companies out there producing fantastic products,” he said and highlighted a company operating in County Galway.
“A delegation from this committee should go and visit a modular home factory because we are not building to pace,
“We are going to have a lot of notices to quit coming down the track following Minister Browne's interventions on the market - We are facing a serious dilemma here,” he warned.
“I am looking at speed, I am looking at us taking control of this, and looking at providing modular schemes in this county for the first time,” he said.
The motion was seconded by Cllr Flynn, who said councillors needed to engage directly with the modular housing sector to assess what opportunities might exist for Mayo.
Cllr Flynn noted that a company in County Mayo already produces modular homes. He supported Cllr Barrett’s suggestion to visit a Galway-based manufacturer and proposed that they also visit a third company in order to compare and gather as much information as possible.
Highlighting the specific housing that is in demand in Mayo, he said councillors must bear in mind that roughly 80pc of those on the county’s housing waiting list are one or two-person households.
“We are not talking about building mansions here of 1500 square feet,” he said. “We are talking about building homes that can put a roof over people's heads.”
“A one-bedroom or a two-bedroom house could offer an amazing solution for so many,” he added.
Cllr Michael Kilcoyne also supported the motion, and argued that if a modular scheme was to be delivered by Mayo County Council, it could be financially beneficial for them.
He said that if a scheme was to be rolled out under the councils ownership then the council and the taxpayer could save a considerable amount of money on Housing Assistance Payments, even if they had to borrow money to get the modular scheme set up.
Returning to the issue of cost, Cllr Flynn bought up the only five affordable homes delivered in County Mayo in the last decade.
He said the five affordable homes on Golf Course Road in Westport would’ve cost in excess €300,000 per house, and said he could not believe the council would not be able to source modular homes at a “fraction of that cost”.
“Time factor is the key part - if we can get modular homes delivered in a three to six-month period, as opposed to going through the planning [process], we can fast-track solutions,” he said.
Cllr Barrett agreed, reiterating that the main advantage of undertaking a modular housing scheme would be the speed at which they could be delivered.
Responding to the discussion, Director of Services for Housing at the council, Tom Gilligan, confirmed that visits to modular home factories will be arranged.
He also reminded councillors of the Government's commitment that a minimum of 25pc of social and affordable housing will be delivered through Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.