Slight fall in number of applicants for social housing in Cork last year 

There was a small reduction in the number of applicants for social housing on lists managed by Cork County Council and Cork City Council in 2024, when compared to the previous year, according to figures published by The Housing Agency.

According to the Summary of Social Housing Assessments, which is based on figures provided by each local authority, there were 2,810 households qualified for social housing support in the Cork city area in 2024, down from the 2023 figure of 2,883 households. In Cork county, the figure was down from 2,256 in 2023 to 2,245 last year, a drop of 11 households.

The Summary of Social Housing Assessments brings together information provided by the local authorities on households in their functional areas that are qualified for social housing support but whose social housing need is not met. It is a point in time assessment, and the figures relate to the situation as it was on November 4 last year.

Frustration

Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gould, a councillor in the North West ward, said that the figures did not give a true picture of the scale of social housing need but, rather, only highlighted the “deep frustration by many people caught in the cracks of Ireland’s housing crisis”.

“These figures do not include those who are on HAP [Housing Assistance Payment] or RAS [Rental Accommodation Scheme],” said Ms Gould. “This paints a misleading picture of progress and an attempt to cover up the Government’s disastrous housing policy.

“People are waiting on the social housing list for an average of eight to nine years and some people much much longer. That length of time can have devastating consequences on families, mental health, and the ability to build stable lives.”

Unable to get a viewing

The Social Housing Assessment Summary was published as it was revealed in The Echo last week that people in Cork Simon’s emergency accommodation shelter were “giving up on looking for rental properties”, as they were unable to get a viewing.

Simon’s ‘March 2025 Locked Out Of The Market’ report found no properties to rent within HAP limits in Cork city centre or the suburbs.

The Lord Mayor of Cork Dan Boyle, who last Friday opened one housing development in Cork and turned the sod on two others, with a combined total of 109 homes, said the objective was to lower the figures even further and at a faster rate.

“We’re going in the right direction and we’re doing so better than other local authorities,” he said.