Wexford workers who exceed income threshold for social housing may as well ‘go on the dole’
Wexford PeopleMiddle-income earners in Co Wexford may as well “go on the dole” to help them get long-term secure housing according to one local councillor. To qualify for social housing in Wexford a single person must earn no more than €35,000 per annum, while a family unit can earn no more than €42,000. As a result, many of those in full-time employment find themselves unable to save for a mortgage and ineligible for a council house.
Raising the issue at the latest meeting of the New Ross Municipal District (NRMD) Councillor Michael Sheehan said there is an entire sub-section of people who are falling between the cracks.
“There’s a lot of working people who are over the limit, they can’t get housing assistance payment (HAP) or apply for social housing. The best thing we could advise them to do is go on the dole, they’re just in a category where they’re never going to have access to a house.”
One alternative option is the cost rental scheme, an initiative "targeted at middle-income households . . . struggling to meet private market rent levels” where rents cover only “the cost of financing, building, managing and maintaining the homes” and provides tenants with sustainable, long-term rental accommodation.
However, this scheme does not seem to be active anywhere in the county.
“Cost rental doesn’t seem to be a thing in Co Wexford,” noted Cathaoirleach John Dwyer. “This was supposed to be a major element of the government’s social housing delivery plan, when are we going to start progressing on this?”
According to housing officer Martina Donohue, cost rental properties are “normally provided by approved housing bodies (AHB)” but, to date, there had no expressions of interest for them in Co Wexford.
“I’m astonished it’s left to the AHBs to provide these,” replied Cllr Dwyer. “Those who can’t get social houses are asking us what options are available to them – Minister Browne said there are plenty of options available to them, but not in Wexford it seems.”
For those who do qualify for social housing there remains a shortage of four-bed properties in the NRMD.
“I don’t believe there’s any four-beds in the pipeline right now,” said Ms Donohue. “There is one in the forthcoming Rosbercon development but they remain some way off.”
Director of services Eamonn Hore later confirmed that there is also a four-bed property planned for the development in Castlemoyle which is currently awaiting ministerial approval for the land transfer.