The issue of housing in Tipperary is to be the focus of a special meeting of the 40 Councillors in Tipperary. The decision to hold the special meeting comes following a request from Independent Nenagh based Councillor Seamus Morris. Councillors discussed the issue at today’s meeting with most councillors saying the crisis is the dominant issue of the day and effects so many elements of society. The Cathaoirleach Cllr Declan Burgess also wanted to hold a meeting on the provision of affordable housing in Tipperary.
To ensure that the special meeting could be effective the CEO of Tipperary County Council Sinead Carr proposed that the meeting focus on three broad issues and that the meeting aim to have some new policy recommendations for the Council or for relevant Government Departments.
The three areas are – affordable housing delivery, with perhaps representatives from the construction industry and the banking sector attending to outline the issues regarding the viability/affordability gap, the second topic is the timeline for delivery of social housing and how the extent of available wastewater infrastructure impacts on the selection of locations for building social housing, the third topic is the issue of people in situations of Notice to Quit their rental home or those who are homeless with a view to outlining the available options. Seventy-eight Notices to Quit have been issued in Tipperary to date this year. At today’s meeting the Director of Services for Housing Jonathan Cooney clarified that the Council can seek funding from the Department of Housing to purchase such homes but only as a last resort if no other housing solution can be found.
