Housing crisis in Navan ‘out of control’
The housing crisis in Navan is completely and utterly out of control, according to a local councillor who is inundated with desperate calls from famiies and individuals facing homlessness.
Cllr Eddie Fennessy said he is currently working with eleven households, who face homelessness within the next few weeks, as they have been given notice to quit by their current landlords.
"The emotional and financial pressures faced by parents today, will scar their children for decades to come. Precarious tenancies coupled with the rising cost of utilities, food and fuel is driving families into poverty, homelessness and despair, he said.
"I checked the daft website and there are a total of twenty four properties to rent in Meath, seven of those are in Navan.
"To put that into context, I'm dealing with eleven families in Navan who have notices to quit coming into effect over the coming weeks. I can't find social or private rental accommodation for any of them.
"Nine of those families qualify for social housing supports. They have access to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) which has become redundant because the cost of renting a property in Navan is almost €2,000 per month. HAP rates are nowhere near that high which makes it impossible to find affordable accommodation."
Cllr Fennessy said his main concern was for the families who don't qualify for state assistance and he is working with two in that situation.
"Their salaries are marginally above the income threshold for accessing social housing supports. If they end up homeless they will be excluded from accessing basic services such as emergency accommodation."
He has accused successive Fine Gael led governments of locking "an entire generation out of home ownership and the private rental sector now too.
"Policy measures they implemented over the past decade fuelled the catastrophe. Rental costs and house prices have doubled.
"The housing crisis was caused by political choices. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have governed this state complacently for a century. They are oblivious to the harm their policies cause and the long term effects they have on society. They lack the political will required to fix a social catastrophe of their own making . The only solution to the housing and cost of living crisis is a change of government. And it can't come quick enough," he said.
One young single mother, Cllr Fennessy has been dealing with is facing eviction this week - she hasn't been able to find a single property to tent.
Among those he has met with over the past few weeks is a family with two teenage sons who have to leave their rented property next months and don't qualify for housing supports.
"Another family with two young children don't qualify for housing supports and have been in the same property for several years. They have been give notice to quit in May,
"I have been helping a woman with a young daughter who has a notice to quit in March and a single mother with a son with autism who faces eviction in March
"A single mother, with two young daughters has been seven years in the same property and has to leave next month
"A single male who has joint custody of two children is facing eviction in April and a family of four with two sons under five years have to leave their home next month.
"Yet another family of four facing eviction next month have been five years in the same property.
"A single mother who left an abusive relationship after 15 years has been renting her current property two years. She has to move with her two teenage sons next month.
"Another woman who was in the omens refuge for few weeks, has just been transferred to emergency accommodation. "She has been applying unsuccessfully for private rental accommodation," Cllr Fennessy said.