3,852 homes lay empty in Louth says Soc Dems MEP Candidate

Across Louth, the housing crisis has forced 15,970 adults to live at home with their parents with a further 3,630 people renting using the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) who are not counted on the social housing waiting list.  This amounts to a "shocking" 20,000 people locked out of a home in Louth, according to the Social Democrats Candidate for the Midlands-Northwest, Rory Hearne.

As a housing expert and longstanding expert on the housing crisis, as well as Author of the book ‘Gaffs’, Rory Hearne believes one of the most frustrating aspects of the housing crisis for the Generation Locked Out is the high number of vacant and derelict properties they can see across our cities, towns, and villages while they struggle to rent and purchase affordable homes.

If elected, Mr Hearne says he intends to use his platform in Europe to hold the Government to account for their failed Housing for All Plan, push for a transformative change in housing policy which puts the State back responsible for delivering housing on a major scale, and deliver real solutions to the housing crisis at the EU level.

Speaking on these solutions, Hearne said: “Renovating vacant and derelict buildings is the most sustainable form of housing delivery, and the quickest. The Census 2022 identified 3,582 vacant homes in Co. Louth, but that doesn’t include derelict buildings, particularly commercial buildings. That is why highlighting the scale of vacancy and dereliction, and the solution to this issue is so important. I am putting this issue central to my European election campaign.”

“Drogheda and Dundalk have commercial vacancy rates of 19 percent, with a 15 percent commercial vacancy rate in Ardee. These rates are higher than the national commercial vacancy rate which is already shocking at 14 percent. If you look at the number of vacant commercial buildings across Louth, it is twice the number of vacant homes at 6,746. These buildings, which often lay in the heart of towns, could be rapidly converted into housing.

“I will be highlighting the solutions to this issue at a public meeting in Drogheda on Thursday and pointing to ways in which all levels of Government, from local authorities to the Irish Government and EU, can play a role in addressing this crisis.”

Rory Hearne is scheduled to speak about the issue of housing and dereliction in Drogheda alongside the Dereliction Drogheda Action Group at a sold-out event hosted by the Development Perspectives on Thursday 25th April 2024 at 7pm. Speaking ahead of the event, Bobby McCormack, CEO of Development Perspectives, said:

"Development Perspectives and Derelict Drogheda are eager to tackle the underlying causes of dereliction in Drogheda.  For too long, our community has suffered and crumbled before our eyes. Evidence-based decision making is required and the event on the 25th of April is an important opportunity to involve and engage community stakeholders in this critical process. We are delighted to have Rory speak about his work on housing generally and look forward to taking informed action".