A shocking new report has found that Laois has the second highest amount of vacant houses in Ireland.
Co Wexford had the largest number of vacant units, some 251 homes, in 2017. This was followed by Laois, which had 135 vacant units in unfinished estates and Cork, which had 129.
The Resolving Unfinished Housing Developments report 2017 shows the number of ghost estates nationally has dropped from more than 3,000 at the start of 2011 to just 256 at the end of last year.
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English has expressed hopes for a “100 per cent turnaround” of unfinished estates.
The report said local authorities were continuing to identify and acquire homes in “ghost estates” – whether partially occupied or empty estates. However, in a change from previous years the report does not identify the potential number of social houses arising from unfinished estates.
The report said “through consultation with local authorities” it was considered that this approach did not present “a true holistic approach”.
Instead local authorities and the Department of Housing will, in future, assess the suitability of available houses with regard to housing need and demand in the area.
They will also consider availability of services such as schools and public transport and existing levels of social housing.
The report said the intention was to examine social housing within the locality “and whether further social housing would be appropriate or lead to an over concentration and poor tenure mix”.
Mr English said the objective was to resolve all remaining unfinished housing developments, especially those within high market demand locations and “strive for 100 per cent turnaround. With a further push in 2018 to resolve as many as possible of the remaining unfinished developments”.
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