16 September 2020
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
€7,297,182 in total granted to Cork City Council and Cork County Council to refurbish and re-let social housing units – Colm Burke TD
Cork City Council has been granted €4,251,500 and Cork County Council has been granted €3,045,682 to refurbish social housing units which will be re-let to individuals struggling with homelessness or on a housing list, Colm Burke TD has said.
As part of the July Stimulus Programme, the Government announced over €40m for the refurbishment of voids, the largest single amount ever announced under the voids programme.
Colm Burke is a Cork North Central TD
Deputy Burke said, “There has been a fantastic response from local authorities to the 2020 Voids Stimulus Programme. Nationally 2,398 applications from Local Authorities across Ireland have been approved at a cost of €39.8 million, with further applications anticipated.
“I am delighted that Cork City Council and Cork County Council will be allocated funding of €7,297,182 to refurbish and re-let 331 social housing units, which will help individuals and families who are struggling with homelessness or who are on the social housing list.
“Cork City Council and Cork County Council made applications which were categorised into three funding streams; standard voids at an average cost of approximately €11,500, homeless voids at an average cost of €17,300 and long-term voids at an average cost of €47,000.
“The Department is in a position to approve these applications and Cork City Council and Cork County Council can now begin their work on making these vacant units available for individuals and families so they can start a new chapter in their lives and make a home for themselves.
“The Government is helping local authorities and developers to plan and build better and more houses for people to live in, particularly during the current crisis.
“This includes providing social housing supports for people who cannot afford to provide a home for themselves and creating an environment that encourages builders to deliver houses for people who wish to buy their own home, Deputy Burke said.
