Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD has called on the Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivan to meet with families who are struggling with their shared ownership mortgages. He made his comments following a Dáil briefing by a group campaigning for these families.

Deputy Ellis said;

“I have written to the minister asking her to focus her attention on the issue of shared ownership mortgages and the difficulty many families who took part in this scheme are having at present.

“I have raised these issues before with her and she is aware of the problem but nothing has been done to support these families and aid them in keep their homes or moving on without taking on huge insurmountable debts.

“People who took on shared ownership mortgages are now tied to homes. In many cases these homes are no longer suitable to their needs or are unaffordable but due to negative equity and the refusal of local authorities to recognise their liability they can do nothing but wait for things to get worse, as hours are cut, wages are cut and the cost of living goes up as well as their rent.

“A group has been set up with whom I met today. It includes people who are directly affected by the problems in the shared ownership scheme, their families and their representatives. They have requested a meeting with the minister and Sinn Féin wholeheartedly supports that called.

“I have been working with families locally to support them but a real state-wide strategy is needed. This is not a large group of people but they are facing real problems and the state must do what it can.”

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson, Dessie Ellis TD, has called on Dublin City Council to begin an immediate and focused campaign of house inspections following news that 483 out of 589 flats inspected on the North Circular Road were found to be in breach of regulations.
Deputy Ellis continued:
“Unfortunately, this is not surprising. I have worked with countless people living in very poor private rental conditions. Inspections and enforcement are just not good enough to force landlords to change. The lower end of the private rental market is ripe for those who want to exploit people, and that is exactly what is happening across Dublin. It is not surprising, but it is wholly unacceptable in this day and age.
“Dublin City Council says it is undertaking an intensified inspection campaign, but it must work faster and harder to identify accommodation which is below standards and enforce penalties or improvements as soon as possible. This is not a new problem and I have little doubt many more properties will be found in breach.
“Another important element of this is the support of the Rental Tenancies Board which does not receive any state funds but does contribute to local authorities like Dublin City Council. The board is an excellent mechanism for tenants of unscrupulous landlords to report them and to see that there is change. However, this is harder and harder as it is having to make cuts. The state must support bodies which help tenants to get their rights respected and to ensure that standards are met.”
ends