Council seeks ‘turn key’ properties to reduce housing list

Builders in County Galway are being encouraged to embark on housing developments that can be bought up by the local authority in a desperate effort to solve the homeless crisis.

Galway County Council have issued a notice welcoming developers who are willing to provide ‘turn-key’ houses for the authority who want to rent them out to suitable applicants.

And the Council has now reawakened developers who may not have considered embarking on housing developments in the current environment given that it is not affordable to do so.

Because, despite demand, it costs more to develop a new house than the market will deliver.

But Galway County Council are now anxious to get builders back doing what they do best – building houses. And they want to buy them.

The Council have placed a notice seeking to purchase houses through turnkey developments across Galway. They are seeking expressions of interest from developers in this regard.

They want developers and building contractors who are in a position to deliver houses to make contact with them and who are in a position to provide houses within a reasonable timescale.

Galway County Council also want developers who have completed houses or apartments at their disposal to contact them as well.

The local authority is encouraging expressions of interest from those who are in possession of completed houses or those who plan to embark on housing development in a desperate effort to address the current housing crisis.

They say that completed houses must be compliant with various Department requirements and must suit a variety of requirements such as location, suitability, value for money, timescale for delivery and quality of design for the occupants.

Such is the lack of private rental accommodation across County Galway that when the local authority sought expressions of interest from property owners to make vacant dwellings available, there was just one response – and even this was deemed unsuitable.

Galway County Council have revealed that, at present, a total of 65 families and individuals are registered as homeless with the local authority.

Director of Housing Michael Owens also confirmed to The Connacht Tribune that a total of eleven families – made up of 17 adults and 39 children – along with seven individuals are currently in private emergency accommodation across the county.

The fact that there is currently a massive scramble for student accommodation, with third level colleges only weeks from re-opening, means that the Council’s efforts to find suitable accommodation for the homeless are made even more difficult.

Recently, Galway County Council placed a public notice asking property owners across the county to open their doors to individuals and families seeking emergency accommodation.

The County Council were seeking expressions of interest from property owners in Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Oranmore and Tuam. The local authority said they would consider entering agreements with house owners on a full property, room only or self-catering basis.

The Council are now redoubling their efforts to get suitable accommodation by looking for turn-key developments across Galway to fulfil their housing needs.