Social housing at Castletroy (Newtown Meadows)

hypheni

I am looking at a newly built property in Newtown Meadows, Castletroy, Limerick. Now, the only thing that is a bit concerning to me is the social housing allotment over there. There is a 4-story apartment being built for the social housing and when I asked the proper agent, he mentioned that is for elderly people and already sold to Solus Housing (might be wrong with the name).

My query is, anyone knows about this Solus housing/ Social housing / Elderly accommodation allocation in Newtown Manor / Meadows?

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058290952/social-housing-at-castletroy-newtown-meadows

The developer is required by law to give (or sell?) 10% of any new development to an approved housing body for social housing. So if you can find out how many houses the estate is going to have then 10% of those will be social housing

Jose Maria

if a housing charity buys the whole lot up, could it be 100%? I've heard the new estate at Coonagh roundabout has been fully bought up by a housing charity

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120438979#Comment_120438979

It is 20%. You can see the breakdown of the types of applicants here:

https://www.housingagency.ie/sites/default/files/2021-03/SSHA-2020.pdf

About 70% of those on the housing list in Limerick are not working. So if you have an estate with 100 houses, 20 will got to social housing and all other things being equal, 14 of them will be for people who are not working. Enjoy!

bannedboyband

The local councils are buying up houses in all established older areas all throughout Ireland. It's their plan to integrate everyone and all. The only way you can avoid it for now is to buy out the Country or buy in an upper class area with houses costing double the average and upwards. Everyone gets a share of the *removed *these Days. For far too long decent people in lower class areas had to endure it all.

HerrKuehn

Unlikely that you will get to the 20% (minimum) level in an older area though.

boetstark

LCCC just spent 500k on a 5 bedroom detached house in our area. This considered a good established area. House is being given over to an approved housing body. Crazy times.

HGVRHKYY

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120439950#Comment_120439950

No doubt there'll be a lot of them in arrears down the line as well, not even paying the token rents

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120440231#Comment_120440231

At least with new builds you know which ones are council and not before you buy and councils are unlikely to buy more later down the line.

When my next-door neighbours sold it was to the council... And, in fairness, the tennants they got in are grand, salt of the earth etc. although I do accept that others aren't as lucky as me

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120448806#Comment_120448806

As far as I'm aware the council doesn't buy more than 10% or maybe 20% of the houses in an established area! The event figure I don't know but there is a limit

HGVRHKYY

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120450732#Comment_120450732

Perfect summation of how private renters are being absolutely taken for a ride. The supply of private rentals is being reduced by the state due to their incompetence in building and providing public housing, which means private renters are left with even more inflated rents. All funded by our taxes, to provide social housing to many people which are basically entitled wasters and will actively degrade the peace of areas they live in

Quitelife

It is galling to see Familys who never worked a day in their lives getting fine houses for token rent whilst decent people working use all their income to rent or pay their mortgage and have less disposable income than those who never worked.

There is a few very large extended familys in Limerick city & County who seem to be allowed never work who are laughing at the tax payers of LImerick and our politicans are very silent on the matter for fear of been called out for discrimination .

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120451471#Comment_120451471

I haven't heard of any such families, can you specify which ones and do you have proof or are you just regurgitating lines from the daily hail? Important to remember that somebody who is paying token rent in these places is on token income

boetstark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120455243#Comment_120455243

Your attitude sickens me. Token income is basically disposable income because these people have no outgoings. Social welfare benefit is only part of their income , free everything in addition.

LCC bought a 5 bed detached house in The grange raheen for 498k. Another 50k is being spent on it. Focus ireland have put a homeless irish family in the house , both are unemployed.

Novas handed over keys of a 4 bed semi in station road Adare last week to an asian man. He is married with 3 children. He actually admited brazenly to the official that the taxi in driveway was his. He was driving it for cash in hand. The Novas official is my workmates first cousin.

Is that enough.

We paid alot of money for our house in raheen 20 years ago. A new developement has got permission right behind us. Terrace houses and apartments to ease the homeless crisis.

We want to move but almost 100k has been wiped off value of our house because of this developement and an imposed walkway from it right outside our door. It was a cul de sac.

Everyday cars , windows and garden furniture getting covered in construction dust despite being cleaned only last week again.

So forgive me if i am a nimby or a complainer because this **** is hitting me in the pocket and thats not hearsay.

Sick to the teeth of this dump of a country.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120649981#Comment_120649981

Well said. The place is a kip in fairness.

This 'nimby' bolloxology is frustrating. You have every right to be pissed off

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120649981#Comment_120649981

That's pretty bad now that novas knowingly gave a taxi driver working for cash a house in adare... These houses are meant to be for homeless who can't rub 2 pennies together to put a roof over their heads. I like to believe this is the exception than the rule

Your argument about the development is fair though, I hope you raised an objection with the council and subsequently to ABP about that and I hope one of them sides with you! Was out for a walk today and passed at least 10 seemingly derelict houses along rosbrien/Edward Street, why are they not being brought back into use instead of building where they're not needed?

boetstark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120652125#Comment_120652125

Loads of objections which were disregarded completely by an absolute nightmare senior planner. It is gone to ABP but not too hopeful.

You are so correct about derelict houses though.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120652548#Comment_120652548

Interesting article I read the other day that I only managed to find now

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41146744.html

Interesting if you scroll about half way down that page

The appeals board points out the development plan states that tall buildings outside the city centre will only be permitted at designated centres.

The development plan referenced is the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028.

Limerick council planners seem to approve anything and everything these days regardless of the impact of the public but I'd say you're 50/50 with ABP

whatdastory

I am also looking at a new home here, moving to Limerick. I know an approved housing body bought a block of apartments (31 homes) for social housing. But does anybody know who bought they other block? They look almost finished and never went up for sale. So I would imagine they were bougut too.

The Development beside the garage on the Dublin rd. is the same. Social homes also, I think maybe 50 homes. So I was wondering they when come up for sale.

hypheni

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120901566#Comment_120901566

If you are asking about approved housing body who bought apartment in Newtown Meadows in Limerick, they could be Solus House, some approved body for providing housing to the elderly. That's what I have told by the sale agent GVM. If you can find more info on this please do post.

brianregan09

Agree with most of your comments but not everyone on social welfare is scum or wasters as you so eloquently put it ........I'm living in a council estate of 14 houses and in 13 of them you'll find some fantastic people some don't work , some do what they can (myself) I was given a house because of my illness and it'd shame me to be put in the same bracket as the type of folks your clearly talking about I'm on disability and I'm still allowed work a little bit so I do

I'm not one of these that gets offended easily but seriously pull your oars in tarring everyone with the same brush

hypheni

@brianregan09 Its grand that you got a house and with your disability and you are working too. I have one of the chap in my company who works as an accessibility software tester and is a wonderful soul. Respect!!

Overall, the thing is builder/agent should be vocal about the position of the estate and who is buying what. With so much of demand in Irish housing space even if 50% houses are gone in social, people will still buy.

pigtown

That info should be available on the planning website. Look for the Part V allocation. There will be a map showing which units are sold for social/affordable housing.

The problem with the Newtown development is that there have been so many alterations to the plans that it's tricky to find the most up to date one

mykrodot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120451471#Comment_120451471

Its everywhere. All over the country. (but I appreciate this is a Limerick thread, I mentioned it so you don't feel like the only ones!)

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120910947#Comment_120910947

Bear in mind that "social " accommodation is not solely for the benefit of the unwaged but also for the benefit of low income earners who work full time.

mykrodot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120914269#Comment_120914269

yes absolutely, I lived in an estate in Meath until a year ago with 900 units, some owner occupied, some private rental, some social housing. It was actually fine in my part but there was a significant drugs problem also in the estate in a certain area where there was a high rate of unemployment and young men hanging around all day. It was a lovely place when I moved there in 2012, but people were getting nervous about what was ahead for their kids and grandkids. It was changing, our community garden smashed up regularly, regular Garda visits to the same houses and at one stage Armed Response Unit.

I sold a year ago to be closer in West Limerick/Kerry to family.

whatdastory

A mate of mine in the corporation sent me this

gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/253709/ffc71de1-806a-4de7-a765-e8ece4e86a94.pdf#page=null

I can't post links so just put www. At the front

cluid have bought both apartment blocks in netown meadows for social housing something along the lines of 64 apartments

SNNUS

The Irish government love kicking the working class in the groin, scrape by and pay mortgage etc whilst the family next door do nothing and everything payed.

I prefer the old way, start out in a rough area and work your way out, no incentive now, no new houses should be given to social.

Quitelife

People getting fre houses seem to have no problem buying decent cars or buying expensive headstones , Horse drawn carriages for communions etc.

Front page of this weeks Limerick Post on about Spike in Anti Social Behaviour in Castletroy/Annacotty Area , some great facilities & Sports organisations in Castletroy but a few large extended families allowed ruin it for everyone else similar to many other parts of Limerick city & County

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120939867#Comment_120939867

Just to be clear. There's no such thing as a free house (or indeed a fre house.) Council house occupiers are tenants who pay rent to the council based on the income levels of the household. The tenants will never own their homes unlike you or me and while some will abuse the system and have nice cars and headstones the vast majority don't.

Has the question ever been asked of your local politicians why people who can clearly afford the nice things you listed are being placed in these homes ahead of the families who struggle to put food on the table?

The antisocial behaviour is all over the city, county and country and not confined just to estates with council housing. It would stop fairly quickly as well if there was a stronger police presence and a more meaningful courts service to deter this behaviour

It's auful that it happens now in annacotty/castletroy but the blame for this is not on the council building homes for those that need them

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003836#Comment_121003836

Plenty of decent people living and getting council houses .

But to be fair for those who don’t /won’t work the percentage of their dole they pay in rent is very low percentage wise compared to a worker having to go pay their own rent .

Theres a section of Irish society with very large families with generations who never worked and like ruining lives of those living beside them as well . These people are the problem but nobody tells the truth any more only letting the problem get worse and worse each passing year and as these family’s get larger and larger other areas have no houses left so some have to be housed in Castletroy/ Monaleen until that gets full as well .

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121004094#Comment_121004094

The real problem is the law not being enforced, if it was you'd get the same people causing zero trouble

The old joke, if you rob €150 you get a suspended sentence, if you don't pay your TV licence you get 6 months, so rob €150 and pay your TV licence off it

whatdastory

Radio covered this in detail this morning. Two apartment blocks in Newtown Meadows will all be social nothing coming to market. The one beside chalke garage, none coming to market, all been bought by the state.

Both developments to have around 40% social EACH

I'll stay communiting from Offaly for the time being!

whatdastory

Heres the article https://www.live95fm.ie/news/live95-news/exclusive-285-new-homes-in-castletroy-will-not-sell-on-open-market/

hypheni

Finally I got my answer after moving in.. 😎

whatdastory

Sorry to hear. Nice area all the same. What do the other residents think of it? There's time yet if everyone got onto the council, councillor and TDs

I did more digging myself and it seems rightsizing also includes people from other social housing. Nightmare

TedBundysDriver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120649981#Comment_120649981

Not everyone in social housing is on social welfare you realise this right?

MarkR

“The only time you look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them.”

― Louis C.K.

If someone is in social housing, there's a process to get on that list, and throughout there are checks and balances. Sometimes this may seem unfair, but that may be because we don't have all the information. Or maybe someone is gaming the system. If they are, then there should be a method of reporting issues.

This is all down to government policy. If you're unhappy with government policy, then speak up when the politicians come knocking.

No more dog whistling about extended families, horse-drawn carriages, or ornate headstones, please.

homingbird

I am happy with this keep them all in the one area easy to police considering there cousins are across the road from chalkes in the caravan park. they will be kept out of my estate as it is a old estate with prices they couldnt afford.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121069950#Comment_121069950

Easy to police

Yeah if you ever see a cop in that area it's because he's looking for the nearest donut shop or looking for tax/insurance discs

Why in Ireland is the term "social housing" loaded?

Pity we cannot take a leaf from the continental experience.

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/02/25/809315455/how-european-style-public-housing-could-help-solve-the-affordability-crisis

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071143#Comment_121071143

The problem is that social housing here usually means lower income households... The Viennese idea is a good one though

I understand that anyone can get social housing in many European countries and that their rent is related to their income. So Dr. John pays more that Mary the dental assistant. It fosters exposure to people of all income levels which might be inspiring to others.

HGVRHKYY

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073453#Comment_121073453

This is the way it should be done, especially now that we're seeing young people starting out in their careers completely unable to afford to have any sense of independence with outrageous rents. This is causing staff shortages in various sectors, including Gards and nurses and teachers and the overall civil service. But of course you'll have the older generation spiteful towards any such initiatives to help the youth in this country with the usual "I suffered so you should suffer too" mentality, and more worried about their home's value even though they're going to live there until they die anyway (meanwhile their kids/grandkids are increasingly living at home into their 30s and unable to have families)

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121075767#Comment_121075767

Anyone that works in low paid jobs should be helped in social housing definetly...its those who never worked or refuse to work that should not be entertained.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076422#Comment_121076422

ANd anyone who refuses the offer of ahouse should be removed from the housing list and directed to the nearest park bench.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073453#Comment_121073453

There are other benefits. Dr John and assistant Mary will be paying 30% of income to the council until they die, be that a salary or a pension. They will never have home ownership but they will never be turfed out either

After their deaths the council start the process again. Dr John would probably be better off owning his own home, but he would be much older doing so if he went down that line

HGVRHKYY

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076422#Comment_121076422

Fully agree with that, anyone in full-time employment deserves to be able to afford a roof over their head and the opportunity for upwards mobility. I believe a good way to approach it would be having 100% social housing developments for individuals who choose to remain on the dole long-term so the wasters can endure each other, and then mixed housing developments for everyone else who actually gets off their holes and contributes towards society. This would act as encouragement to better one's living situation by simply bettering one's life overall and progressing as a person and working towards self reliance and independence instead of remaining as a permanent leech to the rest of the people in society.

Have the housing done in a way that people are encouraged to be able to save towards deposits and eventually buy a place for themselves, to free up their public housing unit for the next person trying to get established. We'd have a much happier and productive society as a result, for individuals who actually do something for themselves at least

Edward1972

Hello

I have opened and closed 3 similar businesses over the last 15 years since the recession closed our 45 year old family business. All funded by myself and enterprise ireland alongside microfinance ireland who helped as well.

Covid shut down my last one . I certainly didn't see that coming after all the work that was put in.

My relationship broke up with the stress of financial problems and although I have always been there for my 15 yr old child , he is ashamed that I have arrived in a situation of homelessness..

I am currently working but this is extremely difficult and depressing when my wages just pay for maintenance ( which I gladly pay) and keeping a van on the road.

I have technically been homeless for 3 years now bouncing from one Impossible accommodation nightmare to the next.

My mental health has been affected, not seriously but enough to be very depressed some of the time.I always put a positive attitude to things but that's getting harder especially now I don't see my son so much.

I have applied for social housing at 51yrs of age as I don't want to go abroad and away from my child.

My question is

Am I a person who deserves social housing .

I have payed taxes all my life but between that recession and covid I have lost anything I gained.

I'd go again but try it ( being positive creative confident)living in your van..

niallers1

You absolutely do deserve it Edward. You are exactly the person it should be for. I think people here are referring to the people with the intergenerational hand out that offer nothing to society except anti social behaviour.

Jose Maria

Just heard a scrote who was given a free house in that new estate was caught breaking into cars in the estate, you couldn't make it up