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Housing Picket Blocking Essential Delivery of Homes Unhelpful

A picket in Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 has halted the construction of 65 new social rented homes by ICSH housing association member, Clúid Housing

The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH, the national federation of housing associations) is calling for an urgent end to the protest, on a social housing building site in Dublin 15, that is putting the delivery of much-needed social housing by a non-profit housing association at risk.

The ICSH is deeply aware of the impact of the housing crisis on local communities throughout Ireland, especially in Fingal where there were over 5,600 households listed on the Fingal social housing waiting list (8% of the national total). The current protest is creating unacceptable obstacles and delay in delivering new social rented homes for low-income families by a very well-regarded housing association, working hard to address the undersupply of good quality, affordable social housing in the area.

The ICSH is keen to point out that the process for nominations to social rented housing homes provided by non-profit housing associations follows the same criteria as any applicant deemed eligible for social housing support on the Fingal County Council waiting list. Fingal County Council’s allocation scheme operates in a clear and transparent manner, determining priority households by identifying different levels and categories of housing need. The scheme of letting priorities for social housing in Fingal County Council, which is similar to all other local authorities, is approved by the democratically elected councillors in Fingal Council. The local authority nominates the tenants to the housing association from the waiting list without any interference.

By assigning a much greater priority to residents in the local area over other categories of need, the allocation system risks being undermined entirely. And this is in no one’s interest. If the protest continues there will be further delays and the project will cost more. The delivery of homes is crucial and we would ask the protesters to reconsider their actions.