Incentives needed to bring properties on to the market - Mayo councillor
A moratorium to incentivise people to bring property to the market is needed as a measure to address the housing crisis.
Facing a possible 'pension grab' or capital gains not making it worth while to sell, people need to be encouraged, Councillor Richard Finn told a Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District meeting.
Another councillor warned of further problems coming down the line with small landlords getting out of the rental market.
Ballinrobe-based auctioneer Councillor Michael Burke said he has been 'inundated' with people looking for homes to rent in the next six months.
A large number of people are going to have a 'serious problem' come October as there is no accommodation to rent, he stated.
The debate around housing took place at a time when local authorities, having been capped with the number of homes they could put in towns and villages, are now being directed to include what they weren't allowed a few years ago in their development plans.
“Ridiculous nonsense” is how Councillor Damien Ryan hailed it, which showed the wisdom of a regulator and office who are out of touch.
It's time power was given back to the elected representatives, who were being asked now to do what they wanted to do two or three years ago.
Councillor Finn said he would welcome any changes that come in relation to the promotion of building and development.
He noted how we can have emergency legislation for everything, but not for planning, where they could try and resolve the homelessness problem in the country.
There were people, for example, in town centres who might have two pensions, but if they disposed of a property one of those pensions was 'up for grabs'. Or else capital gains tax meant it wasn't worth their while putting it into the system for development.
We need to encourage people who have properties and there should be a moratorium as part of emergency legislation, he suggested.
On rental, red tape is driving private landlords from the rental market, said Councillor Ryan. It's over-regulated and weighed against anyone wanting to remain as a landlord long-term.
There's an inspection rate of 25% on the private sector, and that should be applicable to the council too as it is also a landlord, he said.
His call to write to the housing minister and minister of state on this was supported, asking that what applies in the private sector should also apply to the local authority sector, instead of a two tier system.