Housing crisis 'gotten away from government' as 2,000 apply for 20 cost rental homes
The government has been slammed for letting the housing crisis "get away" from it after it emerged almost 2,000 people had applied for 20 cost rental homes.
Applications for the one and two-bedroom apartments at Griffin Point in Clongriffin opened on Tuesday. According to housing body Respond, the one and two-bed apartments will have rents set at least 25 per cent below market rates.
The monthly rent for the one-bed cost rentals is €1,326, while the two-beds cost €1,478. Cost rental homes are open to those who do not qualify for social housing but have a net annual household income of less than €66,000.
With a week still to go until applications close for the 20 homes in Griffin Point, 1,857 queries have been received by Respond, reports the Irish Times.
Labour Party housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan has hit out the the government, who delivered 10,595 new-build social homes against a target of 12,930.
The Limerick TD called on Housing Minister James Browne to outline plans for the delivery of affordable homes. He said: 'Report after report, statistic after statistic, everything points to the same conclusion: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have no plan.
"Homelessness figures continue to climb, rents remain sky-high, and now we see house prices spiralling out of control once again. This Government has chosen to sit on the sidelines while people suffer the consequences of their inaction.
"Minister Browne hit the headlines last month for attempting to appoint someone to check his homework, rather than put the Strategic Housing Office on a legislative footing so it could have real power to impact delivery of homes.
"The number of people applying for homes in Clongriffin represents a snapshot of the sheer demand and desperate need for affordable housing."
Deputy Sheehan also hit out at the "failed" Housing for All project and called for more to be done to help those on single incomes. He added: "More than 400,000 people in Ireland live alone, yet every time the Government talk about housing it's based on joint incomes.
"Government continues to set housing policy that is based on the assumption that people should aspire to couple up.
"The sheer volume of applications for homes in Clongriffin highlights the myriad of ways the housing crisis has gotten away from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Where is the action on the crisis of our generation?"
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