A new report has found that Clare County Council must increase its social housing stock by almost 60% to cater for those in need.
The findings also show that roughly one in 20 households in the county are entitled to but not in receipt of social housing.
The report entitled ‘Ongoing Need 2024 – The True Demand for Social Housing’ has been compiled by the Parliamentary Budget Office which is an independent and specialist unit within the Houses of the Oireachtas Service which acts as a source of economic and budgetary intelligence.
The PBO uses the term ‘ongoing need’ to describe households eligible for social housing but not currently in receipt of it, and includes both those on social housing waiting lists and those on the Housing Assistance Payment.
According to the publication, 2,440 households, or 4,570 people, in Clare, have an ongoing need, working out at roughly 5% of the population, with 56% of these on the social housing list and 44% on HAP.
Children make up approximately 35% of those in need of social housing in the county while the figures show that around 5% of those under 18 aren’t living in social housing despite their eligibility.
The report states that Clare County Council needs to boost its social housing stock by 58% to meet the county’s ongoing need.
In 23% of households in need of a social house, the primary resident is aged 40 to 49 while 22% are 30 to 39.
The figures show that the primary resident of 36% of households here with an ongoing need is aged 50 or over which is the joint-second-highest rate nationwide.
It’s also revealed that 32% of households with an ongoing need in the county are made up of just one adult while 24% consist of one adult and one to two children.
