Some Cork city social housing tenants living in 'shocking' conditions hit with rent hikes

SOME Cork City Council tenants who received apologies for living conditions described as “shocking” by the city’s chief executive have now been hit with rent increases.

Council tenants living in flats on Noonan’s Road, St Finbarr’s Road, Fort Street, and Dean Street, residences the council says it favours demolishing, have been subjected in recent weeks to annual rent reviews, as required under the 2009 Housing Act.

In late September, some 164 council tenants — 129 adults and 35 children — living in flats on Noonan’s Road, St Finbarr’s Road, Fort Street, and Dean Street were told by the city council that it favours the demolition of their homes and the redevelopment of the sites to modern standards.

That declaration came after a residents’ campaign against appalling living conditions in the council flats, a fight which had been highlighted by The Echo.

Last week, Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty highlighted the importance of protecting the “specialness” of Noonan’s Road which has been earmarked for potential redevelopment.

Ms Doherty described a two-hour walkabout of the social housing back in July as “sobering”, saying that her sense was the flats were past the point of renovation and needed to be knocked and rebuilt.

A status update report on Noonan’s Rd was issued to councillors at a recent meeting of Cork City Council.

Cork City Council highlighted how critically important it is that all residents in the location are “in front of this and very central to any communication that goes with this”.

The Echo recently published details from a December 2022 Cork City Council draft report on the flats, which found “major structural defects” and recommended in the strongest terms the complete demolition of the buildings.

Tenants have complained of being “abandoned” and “forgotten” for years in crumbling, dangerous homes 10 years past their planned 50-year lifespan and prone to leaks, damp, black mould, and rodent infestation.

TENANTS' RESPONSE

Responding to the rent reviews, the Noonan’s Road Residents’ Committee has asked for a rent freeze for the remainder of the regeneration scheme, a period some councillors have conceded privately would likely take a minimum of four years.

In a mail sent to Ms Doherty and seen by The Echo, the committee says: “From listening [to] and being with tenants in their homes, we know that these homes are not value for money, as confirmed in the recent draft report.”

Denis Hackett, a lifelong resident of the area and a member of the Noonan’s Road Residents’ Committee, claimed the flats were effectively “condemned buildings”, despite what he said was the council’s preference for the term “regeneration project”.

“We know we are living in condemned buildings, and yet City Hall are looking for more money off us, whereas they should be lowering the rent so that we can survive while we are waiting on new accommodation,” he said.

Council tenants have been issued with annual rent reviews over the past several weeks, as required under Section 21 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.

Cork City Council was contacted for comment.