Cuirt Roisin, Cappagh Rd - 15 Social Rental Apartments to be opened

Juran

Read on Galway Bay FM that the new apartment complex on Cappagh rd is being rented by the city social housing agency to 15 families.
I believe in social housing - we need more in the country. But I would prefer to see the government / local authorities purchase unfinished housing estates, finish them then sell them at affordable cost to families on the housing list. This apartment complex was taken over by NAMA during the crash, and I understand it was purchased at a very low price by a private investor. Now the tax payers are going to be paying rent for those 15 families for possibly years and like the old celtic tiger days, investors will be profiting.

youngrun

Juran wrote: »

Read on Galway Bay FM that the new apartment complex on Cappagh rd is being rented by the city social housing agency to 15 families.
I believe in social housing - we need more in the country. But I would prefer to see the government / local authorities purchase unfinished housing estates, finish them then sell them at affordable cost to families on the housing list. This apartment complex was taken over by NAMA during the crash, and I understand it was purchased at a very low price by a private investor. Now the tax payers are going to be paying rent for those 15 families for possibly years and like the old celtic tiger days, investors will be profiting.

How does this work, do the people renting not pay the owner? is it subsidised

Juran

Not sure how it works - from reading local Galway news it seems the housing authority is the party taking the lease for the full complex of 15 flats. I don't know how it works after that.

snubbleste

OP, I'm pretty sure that Clúid bought it from Nama. Clúid then rents it out to tenants from the housing list under the HAP scheme.
Once on HAP, a housing applicant is deemed 'housed'' and removed from the housing list.
Galway City Council is basically farming out social housing to Clúid.

Mrs OBumble

Ok, if it's a voluntary agency which has purchased in then:

The voluntary agency (Cluid in this case) gets some funding from the government to purchase the property outright.

Tenants are chosen from the regular social housing list: these are people who cannot afford to house themselves, no way could they afford to buy a house, even at "affordable housing" rates.

Tenants pay rent to the agency - at regular social housing rates, which are usually based on their income They have a tenancy for life so long as they keep paying the rent and don't get into any anti-social behaviour.

The rent is used for maintenance, and also for purchasing further houses.

The net effect is that it's just like regular social housing provided by the city council.

snubbleste

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

..
The net effect is that it's just like regular social housing provided by the city council.

Depends, how much does Clúid pay its staff? :cool:

Mrs OBumble

snubbleste wrote: »

Depends, how much does Clúid pay its staff? :cool:

I would guess rates that are the same as housing officers etc employed by the councils. Most voluntary agencies seem to use the public sector scales.

My experience is that the voluntary agency staff work pretty hard for their money.

biko

Juran wrote: »

But I would prefer to see the government / local authorities purchase unfinished housing estates, finish them then sell them at affordable cost to families on the housing list. This apartment complex was taken over by NAMA during the crash, and I understand it was purchased at a very low price by a private investor.

Hasn't Cuirt Roisin been unfinished and just sitting there for yonks though?

Juran

Yes, indeed it has been sitting unfinished for years.

My point in all this is that renting long term or for life, is not a good solution for the tenants, the neighbors and the local area. I hope the 15 families respect the property and neighbors. We have a family who the housing authority (presume the council) have rented a house in our estate (over 90% of us in the estate own our house and take pride in our homes, gardens and the neighborhood). I won't list the antisocial behavior of the family or their 20 visitors per week that seems to call on foot and car, the neighbors reported this to the gardai, council, environmental office, etc. .... and the answer is nothing can be done, its the landlords responsibility. I appreciate that this is a minority, but having heard recent stories about Leas na Mara - these things need to considered. I wonder was it Cluid who housed the families in Leas na Mara who are causing havoc?

Mrs OBumble

Juran wrote: »

My point in all this is that renting long term or for life, is not a good solution for the tenants, the neighbors and the local area.

Why not - and what's the alternative for people who will never be able to afford to buy due to bad luck, eg sickness, or lack of personal resources, eg uneducated and so not able to get a reasonable job). Is short term renting better for them????

Juran

There is an alternative .... years ago in Ireland, people on low incomes, disability and unemployed who were on the housing list and could not afford to buy the conventional route were able in many cases to buy a social or council house/flat. Their monthly payments to the council (or whomever the financial agency was) were low and based on their income ie. what they could afford .... and it worked, and most of these people looked after their homes and contributed to the local area and neighborhood.
I agree with you Mrs OB, I know lots of people in their 40's, soon going into their 50's with kids and they work .. they work very hard, they don't claim benefits out of choice, but due to their low salary scale (factory worker, shop assistant, admin staff, etc...) they can't afford to buy (deposit, fees, etc..) yet each month they pay out hundreds in rent, some couples up to 1,000 on rent. These are the people I want to see getting access to affordable housing schemes, this is where I would like to see my tax money going - I own my own house but I would not begrudge anyone who is making an effort in society and going out to work every day getting a helping hand to get their own little place to call HOME.

snubbleste

That is council-built social housing. No longer being built.
The whole housing market is broken - sez our government

snubbleste

Even more social housing. . from the Nama stable?
Ugly apartments at Cookes Corner behind the pub taken over by GalwayCityCouncil or a housing agency.

xtradel

snubbleste wrote: »

Even more social housing. . from the Nama stable?
Ugly apartments at Cookes Corner behind the pub taken over by GalwayCityCouncil or a housing agency.

For clarification why don't you ask them?

(standard snubbleste responce included)