Fingal housing

Abbie32

So just got my position list for this year and after 11 years I’m currently 66 on the list.
I was just wondering if anyone knows if I’m in or near the offer zone or how much longer am a looking at waiting.
Thank you in advance

Inquitus

They just bought a rake of houses near the County Council building in Swords, maybe 15-20 houses. I assume these will be for social housing.

Dizzyblonde

Inquitus wrote: »

They just bought a rake of houses near the County Council building in Swords, maybe 15-20 houses. I assume these will be for social housing.

As far as I know they are. They're currently being refurbished.

Abbie32 - Fingal Co. Council are boasting about being ahead of their target, so hopefully you won't have to wait long. Best of luck

Abbie32

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

As far as I know they are. They're currently being refurbished.

Abbie32 - Fingal Co. Council are boasting about being ahead of their target, so hopefully you won't have to wait long. Best of luck

Thanks so much
It’s just a horrible waiting game and no one will give you answers.

Jobseeker2018

I've heard people in and around the 60 mark are being offered houses, not sure if this is the Balbriggan listing or Swords listing - but they are flat out trying to get all the houses around the council offices ready, this will be for anyone on the 3 bed listing as all these houses are big houses.

Inquitus

Jobseeker2018 wrote: »

I've heard people in and around the 60 mark are being offered houses, not sure if this is the Balbriggan listing or Swords listing - but they are flat out trying to get all the houses around the council offices ready, this will be for anyone on the 3 bed listing as all these houses are big houses.

Aye its a good enough location and they are fine houses, they will make nice 3 Bed social houses if refreshed well.

All Seeing Eye

Why don’t you just buy a gaff

doolox

...and raising a loan.

Best of luck Abbie.


It is sobering to see a camp set up opposite the Garda Station in Lucan under a weeping willow tree.

The housing situation in this country is dire. But it is not unique. Many developed countries throughout the world are going through a major housing crisis because the cost of housing has grown too high for most average working people.

Telling people to buy a "gaff" is like ordering a legless man to dance a jig. Futile, insensitive and pointless.

All Seeing Eye

doolox wrote: »

...and raising a loan.

Best of luck Abbie.


It is sobering to see a camp set up opposite the Garda Station in Lucan under a weeping willow tree.

The housing situation in this country is dire. But it is not unique. Many developed countries throughout the world are going through a major housing crisis because the cost of housing has grown too high for most average working people.

Telling people to buy a "gaff" is like ordering a legless man to dance a jig. Futile, insensitive and pointless.

No harm in asking. It’s simple enough to do.

Dizzyblonde

Infraction for All Seeing Eye - you've been warned before about trolling in this forum. Do it again and you will be banned from posting

Abbie32

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

Why don’t you just buy a gaff

I’m dealing with the cards I’ve been dealt
I wouldn’t qualify for a mortgage on a “gaf” unfortunately and I’m working to pay rent as a single mother so trying to save the 20 plus grand deposit you’d need to buy a “gaf” just isn’t possible for me.
But thanks for such a positive helpful commentðŸ‘ðŸ½

Abbie32

Jobseeker2018 wrote: »

I've heard people in and around the 60 mark are being offered houses, not sure if this is the Balbriggan listing or Swords listing - but they are flat out trying to get all the houses around the council offices ready, this will be for anyone on the 3 bed listing as all these houses are big houses.

Some positive news🙌ðŸ½

Abbie32

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

Why don’t you just buy a gaff

I’m dealing with the cards I’ve been dealt
I wouldn’t qualify for a mortgage on a “gaf” unfortunately and I’m working to pay rent as a single mother so trying to save the 20 plus grand deposit you’d need to buy a “gaf” just isn’t possible for me.
But thanks for such a positive helpful commentðŸ‘ðŸ½

KatieW1987

Abbie32 wrote: »

So just got my position list for this year and after 11 years I’m currently 66 on the list.
I was just wondering if anyone knows if I’m in or near the offer zone or how much longer am a looking at waiting.
Thank you in advance

I am in the same situation Abbie32, anyone knows how long it will take to reach offer zone?

If I will be offered house FCC will send me a letter? There will be interview or they will just call with offer? I don't know anyone who been offered house from council, that's why I have many questions.

Thank you

Sleepy

It's a "how long is a piece of string" question Katie. Which list are you on? Needs? Medical Priority? Homeless? How many bedrooms are you looking for? Which areas in Fingal have you indicated you're interested in?

All of these impact how long you'll be waiting on the list and even with answers to all three questions not even the staff in the Housing department can tell you how much longer you'll be waiting: there are simply too many variables.

myshirt

Abbie32 wrote: »

I’m dealing with the cards I’ve been dealt
I wouldn’t qualify for a mortgage on a “gaf” unfortunately and I’m working to pay rent as a single mother so trying to save the 20 plus grand deposit you’d need to buy a “gaf” just isn’t possible for me.
But thanks for such a positive helpful commentðŸ‘ðŸ½

A lot are in this position. More are in an even worse position. Know of a young couple paying 2 grand a month with zero HAP. My advice to you is to keep plugging away. If you get a house you won't have that house for life like in the past, you'll get support for a couple of years to give you time to get on your feet and paddle your own canoe, and then it's on to the next person to help. Thats the direction the policy is going. Plus people may be asked to share, e.g a single parent, two kids, plus a singleton could share a 3 bed.
Don't get caught sitting on your hands, keep plugging away and keep persevering. It's hard, yes, but keep going. Council houses won't be for life anymore and you have to prepare for that.

LeoB

Best of luck Kate and Abbie.

I heard the council are ahead of schedule. I find it terrible they take so long when a house is vacated for it to be re allocated.

This is a serious crisis and I think the council need to go back to drawing board. By that I mean they tender out any building of homes but I really think they need to be in control and get their own crews as we had years ago.

Most North Dublin towns had council estates and they served us very well. Well built. These houses should not be sold to tennents which a lot were with no strings attached and they were later sold on for massive profits that the people who they were built for in the first place could not afford to buy. These houses can be used as stepping stone for people who might in time be in a position to purchase a house but the council retain a share. The house then goes back to council to be re allocated.

This I believe is been tried out in North of England

Best of luck to anyone looking to get a foot on the ladder or just get a place to call "home

shesty

They are also purchasing private homes through private sales in the area Leo.Seems to be another approach they are taking.

LeoB

shesty wrote: »

They are also purchasing private homes through private sales in the area Leo.Seems to be another approach they are taking.

Yes I heard that. But I wonder if that is good value? Or if the seller is aware does the price go up a bit?

There is plenty of land around North Dublin in every town to make more serious inroads. Im not talking about massive estates but rather developments of 20-40 houses at a time with a percentage been for locals (who grew up in the area). It might make it easier for everyone to settle in and get to know neighbours rather than a massive estate where people dont get to know each other. This from what I hear is a problem in some areas where people dont get to know each other. They work and go to visit family at home where if it were more mixed with locals and new people it might be a little easier. Build the houses first I suppose.

Sleepy

They're building plenty of estates in North County Dublin. Donabate, for example, will double in population over the next decade :eek:

shesty

I think I'd definitely question the private sale thing, it's taxpayer's money at the end of the day and the property market is not consistent. But I really don't know what the right answer is.

LeoB

Sleepy wrote: »

They're building plenty of estates in North County Dublin. Donabate, for example, will double in population over the next decade :eek:

Is it happening to quickly in Donabate? I dont really know the area well but I am not sure building so many houses quickly is a good thing without proper infrastructure especially facilities for young people. These massive estates as we have seen can cause serious problems and that is why I dont like them. It is very easy to end up with gangs of youths getting into trouble.

shesty wrote: »

I think I'd definitely question the private sale thing, it's taxpayer's money at the end of the day and the property market is not consistent. But I really don't know what the right answer is.

It is hard to know what is the right thing to do or what the answer is but Yeah the council should have some stake in property that has been built with taxpayers money. Social housing is vital and we do need more of it. That is why I believe they need to have a programme of people building on their own sites which saves the council the cost of the land. But they should also try build small developments like there are in most towns and villages around Fingal

Sleepy

LeoB wrote: »

Is it happening to quickly in Donabate? I dont really know the area well but I am not sure building so many houses quickly is a good thing without proper infrastructure especially facilities for young people. These massive estates as we have seen can cause serious problems and that is why I dont like them. It is very easy to end up with gangs of youths getting into trouble.

TBH, I believe it is. The peninsula has one road in and one road out (neither great stretches of road), the new "distributor" road that's being built simply opens up land for development, it will do nothing to alleviate traffic as it will funnel it's traffic onto one of the existing roads just outside the village. The commuter train service is already at capacity, the bus services are unreliable since the routes were given over to Go-Ahead Ireland and next to no direct services exist to/from the city centre.

While the Local Area Development plan has 3 new schools slated for the area, it will be some time before these are built and the local Educate Together school is already massively oversubscribed. The waiting list for the local Scout troop is years long.

Fingal County Council seem to have designated us as a dumping ground for social housing. They initially wanted to develop Ballymastone at a level of 30% social, 20% affordable and 50% private until the developers meeting with them for pre-tender meetings disabused them of the notion that anyone would be prepared to pay market rate for an estate that would be 30% social housing.

Donabate generated €15.5m in rates and development levies last year, yet the operational expenditure budget for this year for the peninsula is less than €180,000.

Aside from the developers working on the NFMHS in Portrane, whose use of the roads has been curtailed to outside of rush hour and school opening / closing times, the rest have been given free reign and it's only a matter of time before one of the kids from the local school is run over by one of the heavy goods vehicles.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in Portrane. Most of the land surround my own estate is protected for one reason or another so the impacts of the over-development of the peninsula are unlikely to affect us directly but I do fear that Donabate is going to become a village we drive through with the windows firmly shut and the car doors locked on the way to Swords rather than somewhere we shop, socialise and visit.

shesty

Funny because I would have said the same thing about Lusk in terms of dumping ground for social housing and developing too quickly.I agree with what you are saying about Donabate though, it seems to be just one big building site at the moment.There seems to be decent houses being built there though, unlike in Rush and Lusk.


The bit that gets me about it all is that public transport in the area is lagging so far behind, and it's certainly not being improved in any way.

Homer

Sleepy wrote: »

I do fear that Donabate is going to become a village we drive through with the windows firmly shut and the car doors locked on the way to Swords rather than somewhere we shop, socialise and visit.

Your post was well thought out and written till you came out with that irrational drivel :rolleyes:

Sleepy

Homer wrote: »

Your post was well thought out and written till you came out with that irrational drivel :rolleyes:

What's irrational about it? There are plenty of areas I wouldn't drive through without the doors locked and many more I wouldn't stop in.

If the Ballymastone development goes the way that many fear it will, it's going to be a social housing ghetto akin to Darndale within a decade. Any estate of a thousand homes, 20% of which will be council owned social housing from the outset is going to end up with more units being rented out under the HAP schemes, bought and let by Housing Associations etc. Planning guidelines are for 10% social, much more than that (particularly in a large development) and you increase the likelihood of the small minority of problematic social housing tenants ruining an area for the other residents. This tends to lead to a cycle of home-owners abandoning an area and more and more of the housing becoming social. Irish History is full of lessons about what happens to an area when the majority of the housing there is social housing. It's one of the reasons the 10% rule was come up with in the first place.


The Donabate/Portrane peninsula has next to no local employment (and no large scale employer), public transport is already under strain and CIE have stated that they can't increase capacity on the Northern Commuter line in the medium term (they need additional platforms in Connolly first), bus services are already poor and with road infrastructure amounting to one single carriageway regional road (Hearse Road) and a boreen (Turvey Avenue) that's set to become gridlock at rush-hour there's little no chance of improving that either. With no local employment and poor public transport infrastructure where are all these new residents expected to earn a living?

Add to this the lack of a Garda station and little in the way of public amenities (particularly for teenagers) and you're brewing a recipe for an area full of under-employed, bored teenagers and social problems.

alina1403

Same here, 11 years on waiting list, 2 years ago we been dropped by 600, send and email to them looking for explanation, nobody can answer to me and no appointment able to make to talk to an officer

Elessar

Sleepy wrote: »

Fingal County Council seem to have designated us as a dumping ground for social housing. They initially wanted to develop Ballymastone at a level of 30% social, 20% affordable and 50% private until the developers meeting with them for pre-tender meetings disabused them of the notion that anyone would be prepared to pay market rate for an estate that would be 30% social housing.

Any links on this Sleepy? Is the 30% social housing reduced now?

Fully agree with all your points btw. Lovely Donabate will be ghettoized if so many social houses are forcibly squeezed in there.

Sleepy

Yes, the social housing will now be 20% instead of the originally sought 30%. Still too high imho.

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/ballymastone-site-will-be-developed-in-a-sustainable-way-37421675.html

jester1980

Hi Folks, sorry for my ignorance and delete if inappropriate, i live in Donabate too, Agreed facilites and amenmities are very poor for the planned builds.

A few questions on social housing, was googling it there.

Who gets social housing, i assume its there for people that cant afford a mortgage with thier wages in this crazy market? Assume elderly people would be included here somewhere too, and then the unemployed right?

20% is quite high but i dont think its going to turn Donabate ino a pit, ive friends that cant afford mortgages and its awful to see them struggling with rent, took me nearly 14 years to buy a house.

shesty

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/glenveagh-to-sell-118-properties-to-ires-reit-for-38m-1.3837645?mode=amp

This seems like a large number of properties in one or two estates-one in Balbriggan and one in Donabate.I admit I have trouble fully understanding the implications of this (other than the obvious one of making less houses available)

charlietheminxx

shesty wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/glenveagh-to-sell-118-properties-to-ires-reit-for-38m-1.3837645?mode=amp

This seems like a large number of properties in one or two estates-one in Balbriggan and one in Donabate.I admit I have trouble fully understanding the implications of this (other than the obvious one of making less houses available)

That is a lot of properties. I don't think I would be too happy if I had bought in one of these estates... it minimises your chance of having long term neighbours and high levels of transience can change the dynamic of the community.

Sleepy

Odds on they'll be rented back to Fingal County Council via RAS / LTL or HAP.

cruizer101

I had looked at Taylor hill in Balbriggan and considered buying there, glad I didn't now.
The estate is currently 135 houses which I don't think are part of that sale but looks like might be planning for another 120 houses behind the current estate, maybe phase 2, which at a guess would be what were sold.
78 sold is a big portion to become rental homes and as Sleepy said good chance of becoming social housing, along with the standard 10%.
Thats a high portion of social housing for a town that I would say is already well above average.

shesty

I don't know, IresReit are purely into making money, so I couldn't imagine that renting back to the Council would be to their benefit unless the Council were handing over additional supplemental money to them for it....and there would be uproar over that (you would hope).I would think they would make much more money from them on the private rental market at present.The problem I think would be if the market were to drop in any way, it may then be more lucrative for them to rent back to the Council (or just put them all up for sale).

As you say though, on a social level it isn't good- you wouldn't know who your neighbours were going to be longterm, they could change a lot, which doesn't do a community any good.To me it is quite a high proportion of houses in each estate, regardless of the phases.I know it's common enough in apartment buildings, but housing estates-I don't know if it suits that scenario.Probably because we tend to view estates as places we settle longer term with families and the like.Puts pressure on schools too, if kids are being pulled in and out of them a lot.I think generally it probably is a bit of a negative thing.

LeoB

cruizer101 wrote: »

78 sold is a big portion to become rental homes and as Sleepy said good chance of becoming social housing, along with the standard 10%.
Thats a high portion of social housing for a town that I would say is already well above average.

The council have destroyed Balbriggan which is sad after the development of the Square 10-12 years ago. By that I mean the streets died near the square. They built massive estates with very little facilities and dumped families into them. We know from experience this a recipe for breeding anti-social behaviour and that is what is happening. So many dont get to know their neighbours.

shesty wrote: »

I don't know, IresReit are purely into making money, so I couldn't imagine that renting back to the Council would be to their benefit unless the Council were handing over additional supplemental money to them for it....and there would be uproar over that (you would hope).I would think they would make much more money from them on the private rental market at present.The problem I think would be if the market were to drop in any way, it may then be more lucrative for them to rent back to the Council (or just put them all up for sale).

As you say though, on a social level it isn't good- you wouldn't know who your neighbours were going to be longterm, they could change a lot, which doesn't do a community any good. To me it is quite a high proportion of houses in each estate, regardless of the phases.I know it's common enough in apartment buildings, but housing estates-I don't know if it suits that scenario.Probably because we tend to view estates as places we settle longer term with families and the like.Puts pressure on schools too, if kids are being pulled in and out of them a lot.I think generally it probably is a bit of a negative thing.

You would hope there would be uproar but I am not sure there would be. I dont see any other way around this unless the council take full control of housing and by that I mean they need to build their own estates like they did up to 15/20 years ago. They can keep people local and help communities. North Dublin had some great estates. Like a lot of things state bodies and councils started outsourcing areas of their business years ago and some of services have gone down the tubes as a result.
I am sure it is not beyond the capabilities of Fingal to identify sites and put back in place their house building policy. It would certainly be a help.

This has been very damaging to Rush, Lusk and Balbriggan. I have worked in these towns for 40 years and the amount of moves I witness every month is sad and damaging to the people concerned not to mention the stress it is putting on people. The community feel has gone out of a these areas with people moving around. It is especially bad for the children who are forced to move school and cant make friends or get stability in any area or clubs which are the cornerstone of Fingal towns.

shesty

I am beginning to think you are right in that the Council need to take back control of building the houses themselves. Let's face it what's going on now isn't working. The middle of Balbriggan is awful - it was never great, but it's gone really dead now.

LeoB

After such a good job done on Balbriggan it is a shame to see the closed shops around what was a very vibrant street in the past.

I spoke to a family today who have moved 3 times in 5 years. What chance have they got? Even though it is within Rush the kids are been dragged around, new neighbours try make new friends etc.

My suggestion would be the council identify sites for 1) social housing 2) Affordable housing. There are plenty of sites around North Dublin that could be purchased and used and further to that I would make sure 95% would be for locals (people who grew up in the area with family ties to the area) To try and maintain the community vibe.

The cost of land has risen but a lot of money would be recouped in VAT and Tax and then ongoing rent. The council would always need to retain a portion of the house so if the tennents were to move on to a bigger house or buy a house as happened in the past but the council had no stakes in a lot of these houses but in future would.

Sadly I feel the will is just not there to "fix" this.

Sleepy

Semple Woods in Donabate is being fairly heavily advertised (billboards in Connolly Station atm) but based on the news about a block being sold to a REIT I'm already hearing rumblings of people considering pulling out of purchasing in the estate (on the donabateportrane.net local forums)

KatieW1987

Hi,

I am number 42 on the list. Council called me yesterday and sent me a list of documents required. What I can expect on this interview? There was no house visit at all, if I will be successful how long will wait to be house offered?

Thank you for your responses.

LeoB

KatieW1987 wrote: »

Hi,

I am number 42 on the list. Council called me yesterday and sent me a list of documents required. What I can expect on this interview? There was no house visit at all, if I will be successful how long will wait to be house offered?

Thank you for your responses.

I have no experience of this but hopefully you get sorted. Have you gone to a local Councillor for some help and advice? With local elections etc they should be clammering to help you.

oliveawaits

Hi, can I ask how you got on with this?? I am at position 30.

I've had my interview and my inspection 3 months ago and I am still waiting for an offer.

LeoB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786370#Comment_119786370

I dont know how the system works but if I were you I would banging doors of every TD and Cllr in your area. Hopefully you get sorted soon.

oliveawaits

Thanks, I've rang and asked for an update. I was told they'll be in touch when something comes up. It just doesn't add up when you look at all of the statistics and reports on delivery of houses. I'm afraid they'll blacklist me if I go to a TD.

LeoB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119832654#Comment_119832654

Think its pretty normal to go to a TD or Cllr on things like this.