WITH HOUSING STOCK in short supply – despite the number of ghost estates and repossesions in the country – the Government has been looking at bringing vacant local authority housing back to the market.
The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has poured over €50m – €52.6m in fact – into vacant houses and apartments owned by local authorities over the years 2011 and 2012. Local councils have responsibility for immediate repairs and maintenance of the housing under their control but the department has been looking at ways to bring more of the stock that’s lying idle back into play.
Just under two-thirds of the €52.6m spent was used up in 2011. Last year, the department spent almost €20m making 2,1115 formerly vacant homes habitable once more.
The main centres of population in the country – and therefore with a proportionately higher number of vacant units – benefitted most from the ‘retrofitting’ project.
The average cost of refurbishing a unit was €9,385.
You can see the number of units refurbished in each local authority area – and at what cost – in this table. If you need a higher-res image, click here.
via Oireachtas.ie
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