It's claimed there are 240 vacant homes in Clare for every homeless adult in the county.
It's claimed there are 240 vacant homes in Clare for every homeless adult in the county.
The figures have been revealed by the Fr Peter McVerry Trust, who want empty properties used to tackle the housing crisis.
There are six thousand, four hundred and eighty vacant houses in Clare. That figure does not include holiday homes.
And with 27 homeless adults here, the Fr. Peter McVerry Trust has found that equates to 240 empty properties for every 1 homeless.
Nationally, there are 13 vacant houses houses for every homeless adult in Irish cities and the Trust feels that using vacant homes is the quickest and most cost effective way to deliver housing supply.
The charity's Head of Communications Francis Doherty outlines what they believe needs to be done.
But the chairman of Clare County Council's Housing Committee says it's not as simple as that.
Gerry Flynn has described the numbers as "shocking" particularly in light of the high number of people on the social housing list in the county.
But he believes there are no incentives for people to sell or lease their home
In a statement to Clare FM, Clare County Council says: “Pillar 5 of Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, outlines a range of actions to ensure that existing housing stock is used to the maximum degree possible and commits the Housing Agency to the development of a National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy. The Strategy aims to identify the main characteristics of vacant homes and to set out measures that will help to achieve optimum occupancy of existing housing stock, whether private or social. Work has started on the development of the Strategy, but it needs to be informed by the views and suggestions of a range of groups and individuals. Clare County Council is currently seeking input from targeted stakeholders on the key issues and most effective ways of addressing vacancy”.
