Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Vote To Reject The Criteria For Eligibility For Affordable Housing Proposed By The Minister

People Before Profit councillor, Melisa Halpin, slammed the Minister for “announcing” an affordable housing scheme without any eligibility criteria and with not a single house available

Speaking after the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council monthly meeting on Monday, People Before Profit councillor Melisa Halpin announced that the Council had rejected the Minister for Housing’s draft criteria for the allocation of affordable housing.

The Minister announced a draft scheme for allocating possible affordable homes last month.

Cllr Halpin put forward a motion to calling the scheme “wholly inadequate and calling on the Minister to cater to the specific needs of residents in DLR. The motion was passed despite Fine Gael and Fianna Fail opposition.

Cllr Halpin in particular pointed to the scheme’s failure to address the need of DLR residents who were forced out of the area due to the lack of affordability in the area or those whose support networks were in the area.

Cllr Halpin was scathing in her criticism of the Ministers scheme because it was “meaningless” without income criteria or any actual houses.

Commenting on the Ministers announcement and the council’s vote she said:

“Eoghan Murphy’s half-baked announcement on the affordable housing scheme, which has absolutely zero substance to it, has been roundly rejected by Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council. It is utterly disgraceful that the Minister feels he can announce an ‘affordable housing policy’ when it contains no details regarding eligibility and when there are no houses available for people.

Cllr Halpin added: “Any affordable allocation criteria must take into account all those who are forced out of the county due to unaffordable rents.

“This announcement by the Minister comes across as yet another PR stunt by the government to try an quell the growing anger that Leo Varadkar and his government who are presiding over a housing emergency where there are over 10,000 people homeless and a whole generation of people who feel that they will never be able to afford a home of their own.”