Donegal County Council is to apply to the Minister for Housing for emergency funding to build temporary accommodation for families in Donegal.
Cllr Martin McDermott, chair of the Council’s Mica Redress Committee, has called for the option to be considered soon as more properties are entered the Mica redress scheme.
“If we are going to be realistic over the next 2-5 years, we are not going to have enough accommodation for let alone our own council tenants, with what has to be done in relation to Mica, we are not going to have accommodation for the number of people that are going to be out of their houses for a period of time when their own remedial works are being done,” Cllr McDermott told the council on Wednesday.
Cllr McDermott suggested temporary cabins could be bought at “good rates” for available sites in towns across the county. He said that the cabins range from €50,000-€90,000, are fully-renewable and fully-energy rated, and have a 20 year guarantee.
As the council faces rehoming tenants from up to 1,000 Mica-affected social houses, and with an estimate 6-7,000 private homes in need of remedial works, Cllr McDermott warned that there are going to be major problems with housing and social housing in the next period.
Donegal County Council is now set to write to the Minister for Housing Local Government and Heritage on the matter.
The council said it is currently exploring options to provide alternative accommodation for affected tenants. The executive is exploring the acquisition or leasing of suitable vacant privately owned properties in suitable locations, and encourages owners of vacant properties to contact the Council. The repair and lease scheme can provide up to €60,000 to owners of vacant properties in order to carry out repairs /improvement works to bring them up to the standard for rented accommodation and the cost of the works is then deducted from lease payments over an agreed lease term.
