Housing and Building

The Housing section of Sligo County Council provides a number of very important services, covering every aspect of social housing:

• Helping people who are in need of housing and who cannot afford it from their own resources.
• Provision and management of traveller accommodation.
• Liaison with approved Voluntary Housing organisations and other agencies in the provision of accommodation.
• Encouragement of home ownership through the Shared Ownership Scheme, Tenant Purchase Scheme, Affordable Housing Scheme and various Loan options.

Housing Construction

The Housing Capital Allocation from the Department of the Environment and Local Government for 2002 was €10,350,000 which was made up as follows:

• Local Authority Housing Programme €10,000,000
• Residential Caravans & Group Housing for Travellers €100,000
• Remedial Works €250,000

It was hoped to reach the four year target under the Multi- Annual Programme of 240 starts within a three year period. However, Departmental approval for Collooney, Coolaney and Bunninadden Housing Schemes were not forthcoming in 2002, therefore, the number achieved by the end of 2002 was 218.

The following sets out in summary, progress on the larger housing schemes:

Completed in 2002

Riverstown 6  
Ballymote 30  
Ballisodare 10
Collooney 10   
Ballintogher 6
TOTAL: 56

To be Completed in 2003

Geevagh 7
Dromore West 14 
Grange 22
Cloonacool 6
TOTAL: 55 

The Council continued its policy of purchasing houses on the open market where the houses represented value for money and where a demand existed and, by the end of 2002, had acquired 15 properties in this way. However, Department of the Environment and Local Government ‘limits’ restrict activity in this area. Ten rural cottages were constructed by the Council in 2002.

Housing Maintenance

2002 was the first year of the Council’s five year rolling Programme of Planned Maintenance of house repairs. Approximately, 66% of our maintenance budget (€350,000) was used for planned maintenance and the remaining 33% was used for emergency repairs. Planned maintenance was carried out on a contract basis and the work generally involved replacing defective windows and doors.

Rents

Rents payable on Local Authority dwellings are assessed under a Differential Rents Scheme based on income of the household. During the year, rents were reviewed to bring them into line with increases in disposal income and to meet the ever increasing demand for maintenance and estate management.

Housing Loans

People who wish to purchase or build a house but cannot get a loan from a building society, bank, etc, may be eligible for a loan from a local authority. The maximum house purchase loan is €127,000 and, in 2002, Sligo County Council paid out €321,508 in house purchase, construction and reconstruction.

Loan Approvals 2002

Purchases 2
Construction 1 
Reconstruction 7 

Loan Payments 2002

Purchases 3 €81,683 
Construction 3 €176,454 
Reconstruction 7 €63,371  

Tenant Purchase

Persons who have been tenants of a local authority house for a period of at least one year may apply to purchase their rented house outright or by means of shared ownership under the Tenant Purchase Scheme. The purchase price will be the market value of the house in its existing state of repair and condition, less various discounts.

In 2002, five loan applications were approved under the Scheme compared with seven in 2001.

Shared Ownership Scheme

This Scheme offers home ownership in a number of steps to those who cannot afford full ownership in one step in the traditional way. Initially, ownership of the house is shared between the shared owner and the Local Authority, however, the shared owner has the option at a later date to purchase the Council’s share outright when they are in a better position to afford it.

In 2002, Sligo County Council received an allocation of €1,050,000 to purchase/construct houses under the Shared Ownership Scheme. 36 Provisional Approvals were issued to applicants and 15 Final Approvals were granted under this Scheme to the end of the year.

Improvement Works In Lieu of Re-Housing

This Scheme allows Sligo County Council to improve or extend privately owned houses occupied or intended to be occupied by an approved applicant for housing as an alternative to the provision of Local Authority housing. During 2002, twelve houses were upgraded at an average cost per house of €30,453.

Affordable Housing

During 2002 a development of 10 affordable houses were completed in Collooney. These houses were built by Cawley and Scanlon Builders, Ballymote. The purchase price of each of these houses was €109,197. Also during 2002, 6 affordable houses were completed in Dromore West, Co. Sligo. They were built by Seán Kilgannon, Ballyglass, Templeboy, and were sold for €82,533 each.

The price of these houses represents excellent value given the standard of the houses and location.

Construction is on-going on the development of 6 affordable houses in Ballintogher. These houses are due to be completed mid 2003.

Estate Management

The Estate Management Officer has been active on all Council estates during 2002. Pre-tenancy training and induction programmes took place in Ballisodare, Collooney, Riverstown and Ballymote. Tenant handbooks were published in September 2002 and were launched at the Housing Strategic Policy Committee meeting held on 22 September 2002 and, from 2003 onwards, all new Council tenants will receive pre-tenancy training and a copy of the Tenant Handbook for reference. During 2002, tenant involvement and assistance was evident in Mountain View, Tubbercurry, under the Remedial Works Scheme and also at planning and consultation stage of the proposed refurbishment of Connolly Park, Tubbercurry. Communication links with Resident Associations throughout the County improved during 2002 with the Estate Management Officer attending meetings and building initiatives with the existing associations in Hillview Drive, Ballymote, Hillcrest, Strandhill, Atlantic View, Strandhill, Rowantree Gardens, Collooney, and Woodbrook Heights, Ballisodare, all showing progress and development in areas of tenant involvement.

Essential Repairs Grants

The principal benefit of the Essential Repairs Grants Scheme is that it enables structural repairs to be carried out to prolong the life of a house for an elderly resident. The maximum grant available under the Scheme is €9,523, with 2/3 of the cost being recouped from the Department of the Environment and Local Government.

In 2002, 85 approvals were issued during the year and 68 grants were paid out under this Scheme, totalling €356,578.07.

Disabled Persons Grants

The Disabled Persons Grants Scheme allows Sligo County Council to make a grant available for the provision of house adaptations to meet the needs of a household member who is disabled. Due to the ever increasing number of applications, the grants are awarded on a priority basis, with a focus on those cases where the applicant’s disability seriously impacts on their quality of life.

In 2002, the maximum amount payable under the Scheme was €20,315 with 2/3 of the cost being recouped from the Department of the Environment and Local Government. 191 approvals were issued during the year and 93 grants were paid out under this Scheme, totalling €463,635.58.

Homeless Action Plan

Sligo County Council, together with Sligo Borough Council and the North Western Health Board, have prepared a 3 year joint Homeless Action Plan to provide a more coherent and integrated delivery of services to homeless persons in the county. The Plan was adopted by the Council on 14 January 2002.

Progress under the Plan during 2002 involved the purchase of a house to provide support accommodation for lone parents, plans for the construction of a facility for homeless women and also a facility for victims of domestic violence.

Traveller Accommodation

There are a number of options available to traveller families seeking accommodation from the Council. Loans may be provided under the Caravan Loan Scheme to a maximum of €6,349 for the purchase of a new/secondhand caravan where applicants satisfy the local authority that they are in need of accommodation and their circumstances are such that they cannot provide it from their own resources. The Council only received one application for a caravan loan in 2002.

During 2002, two traveller families were successfully accommodated in standard housing in the county and the Council will be endeavouring to assist any traveller families expressing a preference for standard accommodation during 2003.

Section 17 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, states that a housing authority shall review its Traveller Accommodation Programme at least once in each 3 year period. The current Programme is in force from 2000 - 2004, therefore, in accordance with the above, Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council undertook to review their joint Programme towards the end of 2002. It was agreed that a replacement Programme would be prepared as a result. Notice, in writing, of the intention to prepare a replacement of the Accommodation Programme was given to prescribed bodies in accordance with Section 8 of the 1998 Act and submissions were received from 6 organisations for consideration in the revised Plan. It is anticipated that a Draft of the revised Programme will be completed early in 2003.

At a Council meeting held on 9 December 2002, the members were asked to consider the provision of traveller accommodation at five locations in the county. Approval was granted for the provision of the sites at Cloonamahon and Collooney.