FAMILIES WHO ARE waiting to move into a new affordable housing estate in north Dublin are facing major delays in getting the keys to their new homes, with no date in sight for when they will be able to move in.

A total of 52 new homes are part of the long-awaited estate at Hayestown in Rush.

Part of the government’s affordable housing scheme, it is being jointly delivered by developer Manley Construction and Fingal County Council.

Some of the families were told that the houses would be ready in January but, over six months on, they still have no date for when they can move in.

These hopeful residents have said that they have had to reapply for mortgage approval due to the delay, while another said they face eviction from their rental accommodation in the coming weeks.

‘Expedite completion’

The local council has also said it has spoken to the developer and utility companies to “expedite completion” of the homes so people can finally move in.

“It’s been chaotic. We’re just waiting in limbo and paying rent when we could be paying the mortgage,” would-be resident and communications manager Aisling Shanley told The Journal.

“The developer hasn’t communicated with us on what the next steps are. It’s just really frustrating and we just want to know when are we going to be in these houses.”

It’s the latest government-backed scheme in Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien’s constituency to face such delays, with the nearby Dun Emer housing scheme in Lusk also a year behind schedule.

Thank you to @Fingalcoco for talking me through the plans for Hayestown #Rush where 49 affordable homes & 12 social homes will be delivered.

The @DeptHousingIRL Affordable Housing Fund will support the delivery of these homes.

Construction to begin next year. #HousingforAll pic.twitter.com/GngePRmZb7

— Darragh O'Brien (@DarraghOBrienTD) November 12, 2021

The scheme was first announced in May 2023 and a number of families were contacted last August and September to inform them that they had been successful in getting approval for the homes. They were required to pay a €5,000 deposit to the developer soon afterwards.

“They said they’d keep us posted but they haven’t kept us posted,” Shanley said. “Before that they were pushing and pushing for mortgage approval [from buyers] and we got them that from our side.”

Council response

The developer has also come under pressure from the council, which said it was speaking to the developer to keep the buyers informed on when the homes will finally be complete.

Fingal County Council told The Journal that it was “encouraging the developer to complete the scheme as soon as possible” to allow the purchasers to take up residence.

“There is strong engagement by Fingal County Council with the contractor and all utility providers including ESB Networks to expedite completion of the Hayestown homes,” the council said.

“We continue to encourage the developer to complete the scheme as soon as possible, update the purchasers on expected timelines and advise when they will be in a position to complete the sales.”

Manley Construction was contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of publication.

While the council says they are close to completion, incoming residents have said they have felt stress and worry by the delays with concerns over further consequences.

These have ranged from the rental leases for some set to expire, while others have found their approval for funds such as the Help to Buy scheme were no longer available.

One incoming resident who works in hospitality said that their home had an expected delivery date of February 2024.

“We were also thrilled because we were eligible for the Help to Buy Scheme refund, which would cover the €30,000 deposit,” they said.

“However, things took a turn for the worse. December came, and we still had no contract. We inquired about an update, as our Help To Buy [HTB] was expiring at the end of December. We were reassured that we could cancel the HTB application and reapply immediately to extend the date to March 2024.”

But that extension expired too. Since then, their HTB refund has decreased, partly due to this resident being the only one working in the family.

“The delays have been endless,” said this person.

Another woman told us that “Neither party wants to take responsibility for the overall project management and will therefore not be held accountable for delays as they arise. Emails go unanswered, and you are given vague answers at best.”

‘We got a raw deal’

Kate Byrne, another person who has secured a home in Hayestown, said she feels like they have gotten a “raw deal” over the homes.

She called it a “madness reflective of the overheated and badly managed” housing market.

She and her three children have been “living in each others’ pockets” while being forced to stay with her own parents as they await the completion of the homes.

“My parents are 78 and 79 years of age – not an ideal time in their lives to have guests overstaying in your home,” she said. “My youngest has additional needs and during this period he has shared a bed with me.

If I had known the delays would be so poorly managed and communicated I would have bought a second hand house elsewhere.  The past 10 months have been hell.

Byrne added that the homes they were presented with in initial plans are significantly different to what they will end up getting.

“The plans and details that were available to us – we are now told they were only a representation,” she said, adding these included storage, wardrobes and solar panels.

However, solar panels have since been deleted from the scheme and Byrne and other families have been told they are now getting a “bare house”.

“[There's] no tiling to even the bathroom sink,” she said.

“My expectations were for a basic finish, so wardrobes, a few tiles for a sink backsplash etc. I am paying €375,000 for 3-bed,” Byrne said.

June completion date

Shanley and other families who spoke to The Journal said they were told that the homes would next be ready by June, but this fell through again in recent months.

Shanley said that ‘snag checks’, which look for defects near the end of purchasing a house, were scheduled to take place in June but had to be cancelled after she arrived at the house to find it was far from complete. She said the developer has agreed to refund her the cost of hiring an engineer for the check.

She expressed frustration and disappointment at dealings with different parties, adding that they are still awaiting water and ESB connections, and the completion of the homes several months past their original deadline.

Another hopeful said they found that the council and developer had “blaming each other” without taking responsibility for the delays.

“We just want a definitive date for when we can move in and get on with our lives,” they said.