The housing waiting list in Laois has grown to 1,606 applicants in the county in need of housing.
The figure was outlined at the monthly meeting of Laois County Council.
Housing applicants have expressed an interest for housing, mainly in the following areas: Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Abbeyleix, Stradbally, Mountrath, Graiguecullen, Borris-in-Ossory, Rathdowney, Durrow, Ballylinan and Clonaslee.
Applicants can express three locations on the application form.
119 allocations have been made to date in 2017.
Nine properties are currently undergoing works and are expected to be allocated in the next two to eight weeks.
A total of 39 houses have been acquired to date in Laois – 23 in Portlaoise, 3 in Mountmellick, 4 in Portarlington, 3 in Mountrath, 3 in Rathdowney, and 1 in each of Killeshin, Abbeyleix and Arles.
A further 13 houses in the process of being bought and area at conveyancing stage – Portlaoise 6, Mountrath 2, Mountmellick 3 and Portarlington 2.
Sales
Sales have also been agreed in Portlaoise (9), and Portarlington, Abbeyleix, Mountmellick and Mountrath (1 each)
Cllr Aidan Mullins questioned the low figures of houses acquired in Portarlington, just 7 out of the 64 houses either acquired or in the process of.
“That’s less than 10 per cent – I don’t think that’s proportionate,” he said.
A national scheme aims to build 3,800 houses, which Cllr Willie Aird said they should have the groundwork ready for.
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