AN ESTIMATED 350 people have applied to be entered into a lottery for 94 apartments in Delgany, Co Wicklow, which came on stream through the Government’s cost rental scheme at midday, the Land Development Agency (LDA) has stated. 

Cost Rental is a new scheme that was created under the Affordable Housing Act in 2021. The LDA said that it aims to offer “long-term, secure rental options” for low to moderate income households. 

The LDA is the state’s affordable housing delivery body. At present it has planning permission for 2,243 homes on public land, in areas including Skerries in north County Dublin and Naas in Co Kildare.

In this round of applications – which will be open until 18 April – there are 37 one-bed apartments on offer for  €1,220 per month, 53 two bed apartments for  €1,445 per month, and four three bed apartments for €1,530 per month to rent.

In order to be eligible for scheme, applicants cannot have a net household income of over €53,000 a year.

They also cannot be in receipt of HAP, rent supplement or other social housing supports, or be a property owner.  

The Archers Wood apartments on offer are owned by the state, as they are being delivered under Project Tosaigh, an initiative which sees the LDA oversee the completion of stalled private housing developments. 

The 350 people who have applied for the apartments since they came on stream today have not been fully assessed in terms of their eligibility for the scheme yet. 

They will be entered into a lottery which is run by an external agency. The applicants who are successful in the lottery will then be asked to document their net income in order to move to the next phase of the scheme. 

To become tenants, the cost of rent for the apartment can not be more than 35% of the applicant’s net household income, as the LDA says that affordability is a key criteria.  

Applicants will also have to supply all of the supporting documentation required to evidence their eligibility for cost rental housing within 120 hours of being informed that they have been successful in the lottery, after which time the LDA’s offer will be revoked and passed on to the next applicant drawn from the lottery. 

- If you have applied for cost rental housing, or attempted to apply for the scheme, and you want to share your experience, you can get in touch by emailing: eimermcauley@thejournal.ie.