Leitrim has jobs but no housing for employees

“I’m hoping that, between now and next Christmas, that we bring in a forum to bring in consultation between financiers, developers, builders, engineers and architects and planning to deal with the unique housing issues in Leitrim,” said Cllr Enda McGloin who called on the local authority to consider adopting a private housing strategy for the county.
Such a strategy “needs to address our current lack of private and affordable new housing which would be considered by the local authority for adoption before the end of this calendar year,” he said.
He said there was “a lack of enthusiasm by developers to build new homes in our county with the exception of Carrick-on-Shannon. This will adversely affect our potential to bring jobs and investment to Leitrim.”
Cllr McGloin said he was speaking to people who “can’t find the right kind of houses. The real issue is the cost of second hand houses that are around €270,000. The cost to build the same brand house can go up to €400,000 and most developers feel that is not within their reach. So we have jobs but we don’t have places to put people.”
He stressed that with the county “at more or less full employment,” the local authority must “encourage developers towards planning applications to the land that is zoned and available.”
He continued that there “is a lack of economic feasibility to break ground in this county and develop new housing.”
He concluded that if new houses are not built, “any jobs that come our way, we simply won’t be able to get people because they can’t live in the county.”
Cllr Padraig Fallon supported the motion and noted that it was recently reported that about two out of every three firms (62%) have lost employees or had prospective employees not take a job due to lack of affordable housing in Dublin.
He added that this has greatly affected businesses in Leitrim and throughout the country and their potential to grow.
Cllr Felim Gurn also supported the motion as did Cllr Mary Bohan who noted there is a “serious shortage of accommodation both in the private and public sector.”
Cllr Des Guckian said there needs to be a “liberalisation of the policy for building houses in rural areas for local people.”
Cllr Brendan Barry said that there have been significant increases in rents in the county with a three-bed semi-detached house on a main road securing €1,400 per month.
“I’m wondering why people don’t have confidence to try and build when you see the rental is so much above what you would expect a mortgage to cost,” he said.
Cllr Enda Stenson also supported the motion stressing there is a “need out there for good family houses.”
Justin Fannon, Acting Director of Services, said the council has tentatively explored the identification of suitable lands in Carrick-on- Shannon with a view to a potential application to the Department under an Affordable Housing Scheme in the future.
He added they spoke to developers, auctioneers, landowners and can speak to them again regarding affordable housing.
Bernard Greene, Senior Planner, noted that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have introduced and extended the waivers for the payment of development contributions until the end of this year and for water connection charges until September.
Mr Greene noted that there are ten houses to be built at Millhill Lawns, Station Road, Manorhamilton with schemes under construction in Ballinamore and Carrick-on-Shannon.
He said there is a view in a lot of towns and said he believed this was down to “calls from the local authority in terms of turnkey housing developments where developers see that as risk-free and don’t have to go through the whole auctioneering issue.”
He added that “unless it’s subvented, it’s down to simple economics; if a developer doesn’t feel they’ll make the profit, they won’t take the risk.”
He said that “an ever tightening building control regime in terms of the rating of the properties” and a shortage of skilled labour to build the houses is also adding to the problem.
Joseph Gilhooly, Interim Chief Executive, said that in relation to employment creation in the county, “I think it’s important we get balance and not leave the topic thinking it’s all doom and gloom here.”
He continued that there are a number of factors that “people take into account when considering investing in a location and one might be around housing but what we find is it’s not different here than anywhere else so we’re on a level playing pitch.”
He said other considerations taken into account by investors is “the available talent pool and there is a strong talent pool in this region.”
He noted that in the county, 28% of people are working in a “hybrid situation and I can be sure there are a lot of people driving a significant journey part of the week.”