The number of people on Clare’s social housing waiting list increased by almost 8% last year.
The figure has been published in the Government’s Summary of Social Housing Assessments, which is the seventh annual report since the first assessment was conducted in 2016, as Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill reports.
The 2022 SSHA shows 57,842 households across the country were assessed as being qualified for, and in need of social housing support as of November 1st last year, a drop of 2.4% on the previous year.
Despite this, Clare County Council was one of 18 local authorities to report a rise in the numbers on the social housing waiting list, with only 9 others recording a higher percentage increase.
In all, 1,185 households in the banner qualified for social housing in 2022, a jump of 7.7% when compared to 2021.
Some of the main findings of the report include a 6% reduction in the number of people waiting a period of more than seven years, while those waiting two to three years soared by almost a fifth.
The employment status of most qualified applicants remains unemployed or in receipt of social welfare; that number rose by 2% in 2022, while the number of those who were employed went up by a quarter last year.
One-adult households remain the majority household grouping on the waiting list and this grew by 7%, while those whose need was due to homelessness increased by 18%.
The private rental sector remains the largest tenure type for households on the social housing waiting list in Clare, but that number dropped by 10% between 2021 and 2022.
The number living with parents or friends grew by 14%, those in emergency accommodation jumped by more than 42% and there was a drop of 16% in the number of applicants who were owner occupiers.
You can hear more on this on Clare FM’s Morning Focus this Monday morning from 9 o’clock.
