Councillor calls for further action as city housing list additions outpace allocations

Cork City Council allocated 726 social homes last year, while 774 households were added to the housing list, council figures have shown.

Sinn Féin councillor for the North West ward Michelle Gould had asked the council how many social, affordable, and cost-rental properties were delivered/allocated in 2024, and how many new individuals and families were added to the Cork City Council social housing list in the same period.

The data shows that there were 224 one-bed, 274 two-bed, 206 three-bed, 21 four-bed, and one five-bed social homes allocated in 2024, a total of 726.

In the same period, the number of new households approved for social housing supports was 774.

The assistant chief executive of Cork City Council, Brian Geaney, added that their delivery figure for social, affordable, and cost-rental properties for 2024 “is still awaiting validation by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage”.

He added: “This figure will be made available once confirmation of same is received from the department.”

Ms Gould told The Echo that the figures show that Government targets for social housing are too low. “48 more families came onto housing list than Cork City Council and the Government delivered in social housing in 2024 ... we have to be building and delivering more homes per year than the amount of new families qualifying for the list.”

She has called for increased delivery and higher targets for 2025, adding that the council should start building social housing through direct labour: “The council did this previously, and I believe this is something we need to get back to now.”

Ms Gould added that the amount of boarded up council homes “is an insult to communities and to those trapped in the housing crisis”.

“I am contacted by people daily who are waiting years for permanent, secure housing,” she said.

“It is soul destroying looking at these boarded up houses when our lists keep getting longer with no end in sight.”