Social housing applicants waiting more than a decade for a home in Ashbourne
Some social housing applicants in the Ashbourne Municipal District have been on the waiting list for more than a decade, according to new figures released by Meath County Council.
The information was provided in response to a notice of question submitted by Councillor Helen Meyer (Sinn Féin), who sought details on the number of applicants and the average waiting times for one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes in both the Ashbourne area and surrounding rural communities.
According to the council’s response, applicants for one-bedroom homes have been waiting since 2011, while those seeking two-bedroom properties date back to 2018.
The average waiting time for three-bedroom homes is from 2015, and for four-bedroom homes from 2017, with the most recent five-bedroom applications recorded in 2022.
The figures also show that Ashbourne town has by far the highest number of applicants, with 567 households currently on the social housing list. Of these, 287 are waiting for one-bedroom homes, 164 for two-bedroom homes, 84 for three-bedroom properties, and 30 for four-bedroom homes, while two households are seeking five-bedroom accommodation.
Outside the town, Kentstown has 65 applicants, Kilbride has 30, Ardcath has seven, Bellewstown has nine, and Clonalvy has three.