Inspections need to be increased to pre covid levels
Sinn Féin Councillor Joanna Byrne has claimed that many of the privately owned houses rented by Louth County Council for allocation to local authority tenants under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme are grossly substandard and that many of them have no option but to endure slum living conditions.
At the recent Borough meeting Councillor Byrne asked the Council’s Director of Services for Housing, Paddy Donnelly, about the level of resources his department has to the carry out inspections on properties in the private rental sector.
Councillor Byrne said she is concerned that the number of inspections had dropped dramatically over 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions and sought clarification on plans for the housing team to re-focus their energies back into this area.
“The number of inspections in the rental sector is quite low with only 299 carried out in 2021 compared to 914 in 2019” she said. “I know this is mostly due to Covid but my concern now is if we have the resources to channel back into this area?
“I ask out of concern for those who are trapped in the private rental market through HAP where many of these properties funded by the Council, are grossly substandard. With the major shortage of HAP properties available out there, huge numbers of these tenants are finding themselves with no choice to endure slum living conditions.
“Last year we managed to inspect only 175 HAP properties. If inspections can get back to pre-Covid levels then some of these landlords will feel obliged to carry out works highlighted from these inspections, which will in turn improve the quality of life for the families, children included, that are living in them.
“Now that restrictions have lifted, this simply has to become a focus again for the Housing Department as it may be the only hope for many families whose homes are in dire need of works and repairs.”
In his response Mr. Donnelly said inspections had been a challenge for the Housing Department throughout Covid and that it remains a challenge to get back to the levels they were at before Covid.
He highlighted difficulties in recruiting staff in this area but assured Councillor Byrne that it remained a priority for them over the coming months and that levels of inspections, particularly on HAP properties, would increase this year. He cautioned however that it would take time.
