Homeless numbers continue to rise in Mayo as call made for council to invest in modular housing
There are currently 263 people living in private emergency accommodation across County Mayo, following 11 new homelessness presentations last month.
The figures, as reported in Mayo County Council’s Chief Executive's report for April, include 193 adults and 70 children.
During the April monthly council meeting, Cllr Harry Barrett raised the rising numbers and reacted with a brief, “What can I say?”, before outlining his support for the council to work with other local authorities in Connacht and explore modular housing options.
“There are many structural problems with the way housing is organised in this country, but one of them is that we have failed to build social and affordable homes over the last 30 years,” he said.
Cllr Barrett added that Mayo County Council and first-time buyers are increasingly “competing” for the same limited supply of housing, as the council sources private homes to convert into social housing through Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
“We are competing for the homes that are available when we take HAP and RAS out. Young working couples can’t compete, and the number of available properties is shrinking. Then you add in Air BnB and what’s left - nothing,” he said.
He said this reflects a “failed concept of housing” that is contributing to the rising homelessness figures.
Cllr Barrett is a member of the Housing Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), which recently visited Vision Built in Tubbercurry, a company that designs, manufactures and installs modular building solutions.
Referencing the 263 people currently in emergency accommodation, he said the council is “going to have to get into the modular space.”
“I would like us to have a good look at procuring, with other councils in Connacht, a significant number of modular homes to try and do something about this situation,” he said.
He reported that he and his colleagues in the Housing SPC were impressed by what they saw at the factory and suggested that the committee will recommend that the council examine modular housing more seriously as a potential solution to the ongoing housing crisis.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.