Calls To Strengthen Tenants Rights In Changing Landscape Of Home Ownership

Calls have been made in Clare for the strengthening of tenants rights to account for the changing trends in the housing sector.

It comes new figures have shown that more people in the county are renting for longer.

 

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There’s been a massive reduction in the number of young people in Clare buying their own home over the past two decades.

According to the census, young people are moving out of rented accomodation and into their own home at the age of 34 – which is in stark contrast with 1991, when the average age was 26.

The number of people living in rented accommodation has risen by 6.8% in the past five years, with more than 10,100 homes in the county rented out in 2016, compared with just over 9,462 in 2011.

MidWest Simon says tenant’s rights need to be strengthened to mirror the trends.

Housing Support Team Leader, Tracey Reddy says that’s not happening here.

The figures are among a number of other patterns visible in the new report compiled by the CSO.

There are now fewer vacant dwellings, but at a time when there’s over 2,000 applicants on the social housing waiting list in Clare, the figure remains significantly high.

Of the 10,925 vacant dwellings, there are more than five thousand houses and over 1,000 apartments, but in excess of 4,800 are holiday homes, many of which the local authority have deemed unsuitable for social housing.

Chair of Clare County Council’s Housing Committee, Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn says fresh thinking is needed by the Government in order to prevent modern adults from returning to historic living arrangements.