Limerick councillors criticise rules preventing some tenants from buying their own homes

A LIMERICK councillor has criticised a rule that says people in Approved Housing Body (AHB) homes cannot buy the house they are living in.

Speaking at a meeting of the Newcastle West Municipal District (MD), Cllr Jerome Scanlan (Independent) called for a change of rule to be instated by the Department of Housing, stressing that these people must transfer to social housing if they ever want to purchase a home.

“Let’s be clear about this, if somebody is accommodated in an Approved Housing Body unit, then they will never have the right to buy it,” Cllr Scanlan stated.

His comments arose during an update from the Housing Directorate on an estate in Newcastle West, Woodfield Manor, where 28 applications for social housing units were received.

A council spokesperson informed that out of the 28 applications received, 14 were unsuccessful with some of these due to the applicants not being eligible for a transfer to social housing from an AHB.

On a point of clarification, a spokesperson added that the allocations team deemed these applicants adequately housed and so could not justify a transfer when there were people who had no homes applying to be housed.

Divine home intervention: Old parochial in Limerick town house sells

Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Collins (FF) described the rule as “completely unfair” and asked that the Municipal District write to the Department of Housing in Dublin to have it changed.

Cllr John Sheahan (FG) warned that councillors must be careful what they ask for, in an effort to avoid previous instances where an incorrect mix of housing types occurred.

“We are all looking for a proper mix of housing here,” Cllr Sheahan said.

A council spokesperson highlighted that tenants moving into an AHB unit are made aware from the start that they cannot purchase the home.