10 July 2024
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
New figures obtained by Social Democrats Cllr Pádraig Rice by Cork City Council show that 348 Council houses are currently vacant – 44 of these in the South Central Ward.
Cllr Rice submitted a written question to the Chief Executive to better understand exactly how many Council houses were vacant and what could be done to reduce this number.
Social Democrats Cllr Pádraig Ric
Cllr Rice said,
“It’s deeply frustrating to see almost 350 Council houses vacant. It’s unacceptable for houses to be empty while thousands of people wait for homes. I have seen houses that neighbours have told me have been vacant for years. This has to change.
“Bringing empty homes back into use can be the fastest, most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to deliver desperately needed social homes.”
“In the past Cork City Council has been far too slow at turning around vacant council houses. This has improved lately, but there is a way to go.
“Right now rents in Cork are unaffordable, and house prices are far too high for people on average incomes. Many people depend on social housing.
“We need far more houses to be built—but not any kind of housing—we need more affordable and social housing. It is the only way to end the housing crisis.
“Every day, I meet families who are in dire need of housing. There is a lot of overcrowding, and many people in their 30s and 40s are back home living with their parents. They really want a home of their own.
“The housing crisis won’t be solved until we scale up the number of public homes. Cork City Council has a key role to play in building these new sustainable communities. The Council must significantly increase the number of homes it builds as a matter of urgency. It’s not happening at the pace that we need. In the meantime, we have to make full use of all existing houses.
“I want to see the number of vacant Council houses reduced and the turnaround times improved even further. I’m going to continue to monitor these figures and to press for improvements.”
