‘First past the post’ system for Wexford affordable housing scheme as demand likely to exceed supply

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Applicants hoping to purchase new homes under Wexford County Council’s (WCC) affordable housing schemes are being advised that a “first past the post” policy is being used to allocate properties.

The latest affordable housing scheme on the market via WCC will see 20 new homes available for sale below market value at An Lísin Mór on the Coolballow Road in Wexford town. The development is still under construction but prospective buyers can view the properties via a show house at the estate.

Described as having “style, comfort, and flexibility” and being built with an “energy-efficient, high-performance approach” the 20 units, which will be a mix of two, three, and four-bed homes, will be part of a larger development of privately-owned homes.

At the monthly meeting of the Wexford Borough District, Claude Clancy of the council’s Affordable Housing team explained how the scheme worked.

“The price point on the three-beds is €315,000-€320,000 but WCC provides a €75,000 subvention so applicants can purchase them at €240,000,” he said. “On top of that, you can also avail of an additional €30,000 through the help-to-buy scheme.”

That subvention does mean that the State retains an equity share of the property, however, that share can be bought out by the applicant at any point.

While An Lísin Mór joins similar affordable housing schemes in Gorey and Enniscorthy, the fear is that supply is not meeting demand.

“How many people have applied for previous schemes and how many were unsuccessful?” asked Councillor Tom Forde. “Are we meeting the demand?”

“Under the guidelines, at least 30 pc of the homes are reserved for local applicants, however, the first scheme we did in Wexford was taken up by 100 pc local applicants.”

Contrary to what Cllr Catherine Walsh had been told, single applicants can avail of the scheme.

“If you are a single applicant you can apply for a one or two-bedroom home,” said Mr Clancy. “If you are a two-person household you will get priority for a three-bed home, a three-person household gets priority for a four-bed, and so on.”

For more information on WCC’s affordable housing schemes visit wexfordcoco.ie