Calls on Council to amend its Housing Allocations System

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has called on South Dublin County Council to amend its Allocation System after it emerged that a homeless applicant who was told in February that she would be shortly housed has still not been able to move into the house. Teachta Crowe said that the homeless woman and her children have lost out on the possibility of alternative accommodation as she was removed from the system on being told she had accommodation and it is unlikely she will be housed until next year, over 12 months after being told that she was being housed.
 
Teachta Crowe said: “South Dublin County Council needs to tighten up its allocation model as the experience of this young homeless woman and her family cannot be allowed to occur again. The family who are currently in a homeless hub were informed back in February that they would be housed in Dodderbrook off the Oldcourt Road in Tallaght, but, because of building delays, will not be housed till early next year, over twelve months after being told that she was being housed. This unacceptable and means that this family will spend another Christmas in homeless accommodation. It also means that this family has missed out on other chances of accommodation in the Council area as they were supposedly allocated housing and removed from the list.
 
“I am very much in favour in favour of giving a housing applicant plenty of notice to prepare to move into their new home as it is a huge task for anyone to get beds, furniture, and all the everyday essentials for a new accommodation. It is particularly hard for anyone homeless as, in many cases, they just have a change of clothes. I have contacted South Dublin and CLUID Housing agency today about this sad and difficult case. They are, I believe, genuinely apologetic to this family, but I am hoping changes will be made immediately so no other family has to experience the high of being allocated new accommodation only to find that they won’t be housed until a long twelve months later.”