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Housing Association

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  • 11-10-2011 11:04pm
    #1
    em_cat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭


    Does anyone currently privately own an apartment or house that is managed by a housing association in Dublin?

    If so, can you please share your experience as we are facing a backdoor takeover by Local authority urging the developer to sell the remaing unsold private units to a housing association at a severely reduced cost just to get the units filled and also to takeover the management of the entire estate. This would include private and social housing.

    Any help with how to handle this before the deal is done would be greatly appreciated.Thanks
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    #2
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    em_cat wrote: »
    Any help with how to handle this before the deal is done would be greatly appreciated.Thanks


    either buy all the empty houses, sell up or stop being a snob


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    #3
    em_cat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭em_cat


    D3PO wrote: »
    either buy all the empty houses, sell up or stop being a snob
    Constructive advice would be good, just to clarify, when we purchased we knew that we would be in an existing community that was mixed tenure, so being a snob does not apply. if you can't give some constructive advice then do not post as you have clearly misunderstood the question that I have posted.


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    #4
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    Housing association tenants don't have the right to buy the house, well that's my experience anyway.

    You need to relax, these are most often local people or elderly people or handicapped people also who will have support in the area. Hardly young troublemakers from the housing list or problem tenants the council are shifting on

    Are you more concerned the discounted houses are going to slash the value of your house?


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    #5
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,422 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    D3PO wrote: »
    either buy all the empty houses, sell up or stop being a snob
    Can we keep it constructive please?


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    #6
    El Weirdo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,647 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    I'd like to know what the OP's actual issue is with this situation.

    Would you not prefer to see the empty properties on your estate, occupied?


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    #7
    lostaccount
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭lostaccount


    I don't want to presume the issue on behalf of the op but I can understand the concern. If one person or one organisation owns the majority of apts/houses then the interests/agenda of that party will always be voted in.


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    #8
    Borzoi
    Registered Users Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭Borzoi


    em_cat wrote: »
    Does anyone currently privately own an apartment or house that is managed by a housing association in Dublin?
    Used to live in a complex that was part housing association though that was separately managed

    From experience HA tenants are the cream of the Local authority list, and tend to be long term families and elderly people and so have a greater interest in the area/estate. I've also dealt with a minor issue that had to be resolved by the HA and they were very good to deal with.

    If they take over the estate in entirety the benefit to you will be lower management fees, I would think, because there is no profit motive. The potential downside is the effective block vote - but I'm not sure how bad that can be. There could also be a perception that a HA estate would perceived negatively, but I would prefer to live in one of their managed estates than in a standard apartment complex full of the usual mix of dodgy landlords/tenants and ineffectual management companies


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    #9
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    Borzoi wrote: »
    From experience HA tenants are the cream of the Local authority list, and tend to be long term families and elderly people and so have a greater interest in the area/estate.

    Fully agree, you summed it better then I did


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    #10
    em_cat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭em_cat


    Thanks to all who have posted replies to my inquiry and as for the majority, this thread is to gain an idea of experiences that people have. I do appreciate all the responses, but I would like to get one thing straight, there is no snobbery going here as one person has suggested, this is a genuine concern as it will come as a shock to others who thought they where buying into a privately managed apt block, whereby we as members of that management company would have a significant say in certain things, however at this point it is the local authority's way of going about this that is the problem.

    I do believe a housing association would well out perform the local authority when it comes to looking after the authority's stake in the development, however those who have privately purchased want to retain the ability to decide whether carry on with a managing agent or become self managed. There are also other concerns as to the value of our properties and the risk that some families may be moved back into the area that should not be here
    as they where moved out for a reason. And for further info, it is not just the private owners that are concerned, there are quite a few LA tenants that are also concerned, at present they have the opportunity to purchase their properties from the council and with the HA that has made the offer, it is likely that that opportunity will cease.

    So although some may view my thread as being 'snobby', it is clear that they have completely missed the point. All I am asking is what experience people have living in either a fully HA managed estate when there is a mix of social, affordable, shared and fully private units or if they live in a partly HA managed estate while the private portion is managed by a private management company/self managed.


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    #11
    El Weirdo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,647 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    The Tenant Purchase Scheme has been replaced with the Incremental Purchase Scheme. It might be worth checking with the LA or the housing association whether tenants in your estate would qualify.

    I know that the Chief Exec of the HA I worked for was, a couple of years ago anyway, very keen to implement such a scheme if and when it became possible.

    Edit: Just re-read the link and it seems that tenants in your estate wouldn't qualify to purchase at the moment.


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    #12
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,422 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    em_cat wrote: »
    . There are also other concerns ... the risk that some families may be moved back into the area that should not be here as they where moved out for a reason.
    Generally housing associations have a good record in dealing with anti-social behaviour.


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    #13
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    em_cat wrote: »

    I do believe a housing association would well out perform the local authority when it comes to looking after the authority's stake in the development, however those who have privately purchased want to retain the ability to decide whether carry on with a managing agent or become self managed.

    This is a concern, the private residents might get outvoted on everything.
    Only way to sort this is get a one page flyer with a short message and [your?] mobile number and organize a meeting. Then ye can organize yourselves too.
    But anyway, there are many worse things that could happen your estate then have a housing association come in :)
    em_cat wrote: »
    and the risk that some families may be moved back into the area that should not be here
    as they where moved out for a reason.

    To be on a housing association you need to register with the local authority list.
    But you are getting the best tenants and most will be local and most of them will be elderly. Some will need support and the HSE/council will be sorting that

    It's true some local authority's dump their problem tenants into one area.
    And the sly foxes in Limerick city manage to dump many of their boyos on Co Limerick and Tipp like Tipperary town and Newport

    But housing associations don't deal with this. You will be getting good neighbours :)

    And sure better the estate is full then lots of blocks empty


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    #14
    em_cat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭em_cat


    Mikemac, you make some good points there. While it's true that having the units filled, we are facing a problem that extends past any issues with that. We have been able to find out the ratio of voting power between the local authority, the voluntarily housing association, the developer and private owners. If the VHA purchases all of the remaining empty units they will have the majority, as it is now one vote per unit.

    For example the voting rights would be like this, give or take between the higher percentages:

    developer 25%
    LA 25%
    VHA 35%
    PvO 15%

    Developer will always have voting weight as they own 2 full blocks plus some commercial units and eventhough the OMC should be handed over to the residents at our next upcoming AGM, it is unlikely we as private owners will be able to get a private owner on the board as we don't have the voting weight. it is also unlikely that if there is a vote on something that would effect the entire development, the developer is unlikely to support the private owners.

    At present, we are in a ****e situation, not b/c a VHA is coming in, but more b/ the LA is pushing a social and political agenda that suits them and does not work for the good of the entire development.


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