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Vacant Homes Action Plan for County Roscommon
2017-2021
2
Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Introduction 1
Local Context 1
Incentives to bring vacant homes back into use 5
Actions to address vacant private housing 7
Actions to address vacant social housing 9
Implementation of Action Plan and summary of actions 11
Contents Page
Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
1
Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Introduction
National housing policy, as outlined in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and
Homelessness, provides a multi-stranded approach to significantly increase the level of housing to
address housing needs nationwide. Utilising existing housing stock is a key Pillar of this Plan
together with the development of an overall national vacant housing re-use strategy. This strategy
will be developed using detailed Census 2016 results, as well as up-to-date data to outline actions
which would have the greatest effect in getting vacant homes back into use.
There are a number of wide ranging reasons which lead to vacancy such as population decline,
migration, age and quality of housing. While a certain level of vacancy is to be expected, short term
vacancies are mainly as a result of changing ownerships or renovations. Long term vacancies can
have a negative impact on an area, especially in an urban environment as it contributes to urban
decay.
Roscommon County Council will identify the level of vacancy in the following settlements of the
county: Roscommon Town, Monskland/Bellanamullia, Boyle, Castlerea, Ballaghaderreen, Cortober,
Strokestown, Elphin and Hodson Bay. The Council will also set targets for what vacant homes can
be brought back into use, whether for sale or rent or indeed social housing purposes.
Local Context
Census 2016 figures show the total housing stock in Co. Roscommon as 31,285. Of these houses,
5,323 or 17% were identified as being vacant. This is a reduction from the 7,332 houses that were
identified as being vacant in the 2011 Census. The countywide vacancy rate according to the
Census 2016 data is mapped in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Small Areas Census 2016 Vacancy Rate
> 33.6 to 62
> 23.7 to 33.6
> 17.6 to 23.7
>12.5 to 17.6
>7 to 12.5
0 to 7
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
The Geodirectory is an extensive database of each building in the country and is updated on an
ongoing basis. The figures from the Geodirectory show the total number of vacant houses in Co.
Roscommon as 2,978. The county wide vacancy rate according to the Geodirectory is shown in
Figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Small Areas Geodirectory Vacancy Rate 2017
As an initial analysis of vacancy, the geodirectory
database was identified, given that it is based on
the most recent data on vacancy available at this
time. This included a comprehensive information
gathering exercise to compile a database of the
level of vacancy, with a priority at this stage
given to the settlement centres as set out in the
settlement hierarchy of the County Development
Plan 2014-2020.
These settlements are:
• Roscommon Town
• Monskland/Bellanamullia
• Boyle
• Castlerea
• Ballaghaderreen
• Cortober
• Strokestown
• Elphin
• Hodson Bay
Figure 3: Settlements identified for detailed analysis
> 24 to 35
> 17.8 to 24
> 12.6 to 17.8
> 8.2 to 12.6
> 4 to 8.2
0 to 4
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
These figures show that there are a total of 915 vacant houses in these settlements. This
represents an average vacancy rate of 9.3% in these settlements. The highest vacancy is in
Ballaghaderreen with a vacancy rate of 17.78% while Athlone (incl. Monksland) had the lowest
vacancy rate at 1.08%.
The vacancy numbers in the identified settlements for both Census 2016 and Geodirectory data are
shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.
It is important to note that the figures compiled from the Geodirectory include privately owned
houses as well as those owned by the Roscommon County Council. These houses have a capacity to
provide for the private rental market as well as social housing.
In relation to the vacant homes in private ownership, Roscommon County Council will identify the
registered owners of these properties. The owners will be contacted and advised of their options to
bring their properties back into use for either private or social housing purposes.
Total number
of houses in
area
Total no. of
vacant
houses
Vacancy
rate (%)
Roscommon 2611 351 13.44
Athlone incl Monk-
sland 1759 92 5.23
Ballaghaderreen 1181 383 32.43
Boyle 1411 288 20.41
Castlerea 1235 336 27.20
Strokestown 553 157 28.39
Cortober 462 154 33.33
Elphin 382 105 27.47
Hodson Bay/
Barrymore 223 15 6.73
Table 1: Vacancy Rates according to Census 2016
Total number
of houses in
area
Total no.
of vacant
houses
Vacancy rate
(%)
Roscommon 2481 187 7.54
Athlone incl Monk-
sland 1647 19 1.54
Ballaghaderreen 1157 210 18.15
Boyle 1452 168 11.57
Castlerea 1193 151 12.66
Strokestown 521 77 14.78
Cortober 454 51 11.23
Elphin 374 47 12.57
Hodson Bay/
Barrymore 196 5 2.55
Table 2: Vacancy Rates according to Geodirectory
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
With regard to social housing, Roscommon County Council will aim to fill any vacant housing stock
along with providing additional social housing units. The Council will also continue to provide
support to the social housing rental market with initiatives such as Housing Assistance Payment
(HAP), Repair and Lease Scheme (RLS) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
In order to survey the settlements in a comprehensive manner, a mobile app based GIS survey for
the purpose of recording information related to the vacancy status of properties was created. This
collector app included all properties in the settlements and the boundaries which were determined
by the settlement boundaries as defined by Census 2016. Staff will be assigned to carry out the
surveys on all properties within these settlements to determine a level of vacancy. Once surveyed it
gave a real time picture of vacancy in the principle settlements of the county.
Each vacant property will be mapped and the information is to be shared with the vacanthomes.ie
website which has been set up as a central portal for individuals to log possible vacant properties
throughout the country.
In accordance with recommendations from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local
Government, Roscommon County Council have designated an Empty Homes Officer to act as a
point of contact for members of the public to provide information on the options/incentives
available for bringing vacant homes back into use. This Empty Homes Officer will also be
responsible for co-ordinating the development of the Action Plans and subsequent implementation
of relevant actions. A primary objective of the designated Officer will be to collect accurate and
up-to-date information on the location and ownership of empty homes and maintain a database of
such homes, facilitate their return to productive use.
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Incentives to bring vacant homes back into use
Once the vacancy rates have been established, the next step is to identify all the available
incentives to bring these vacant homes back into use. The Council will make contact with the
registered owners of the properties and inform the owners of the options which may be available
to them and the incentive which best meets the requirements of both the Council and the property
owner.
Acquisitions
The ability to acquire vacant homes and to return them to productive use is a key element to the
Vacant Homes Action Plan. Acquisition thresholds set by the Department will form the basis for
discussions with owners. In some instances, the Council will seek to work in partnership with an
Approved Housing Body in order to secure acquisition.
Repair and Lease Scheme
Departmental guidance was received for the “Repair & Lease Scheme” under the “Rebuilding
Ireland” Action Plan which is aimed at encouraging property owners to refurbish vacant residential
properties in order to provide them by way of lease for the benefit of those on the housing waiting
list. The scheme is aimed at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford the repairs needed to
bring their property up to the standard for renting.
Subject to the property being suitable for the provision of social housing, the cost of the repairs will
be met by the Local Authority or an Approved Housing Body (AHB). There are a number of
requirements in relation to the scheme:
• The property has to be vacant for at least 12 months prior to submission: proof of vacancy
will be required
• There has to be a social housing demand for the property
• The property has to be assessed as being viable to provide social housing
If the property meets these requirements it will be inspected by Local Authority or AHB staff who
will identify the works required to bring the house up to the required standard. If the owner wishes
to enter into a lease arrangement to make the property available for social housing with the local
authority or AHB, the following conditions will apply:
• The minimum lease term is 10 years, 15 years or 20 years depending on the cost of the
upgrade works;
• the lease payments will based on:
• The general terms of social leasing which is set at 80% (85% for apartments) of the
current market rental rates in the property location
• A further adjustment to the lease payment to off-set the cost of the repair/upgrade
work until the cost of the work has been repaid;
• The scope and cost of the works required to meet the standards, and the recoupment of the
works cost through the lease payments, will be agreed between the owner and the Local
Authority/AHB.
Buy and Renew Scheme
This initiative funds Local Authorities and AHBs (the latter using the ‘Capital Assistance Scheme for
priority housing categories) to purchase and renew housing units in need of remediation, and make
them available for social housing use. Again, it is subject to the suitability of the property for social
housing, the condition of the property and the cost of remediation. There is real potential for Local
Authorities to acquire properties that are vacant and where there is a need for social housing, to
remediate them and make them available to those on the waiting list. A detailed condition survey
of all properties being considered will be carried out prior to any agreements being finalised.
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS)
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is a social housing support introduced to cater for the
accommodation needs of persons who are in receipt of rent supplement and living in the private
rented sector for 18 months or more and on the Social Housing Waiting List. It is envisaged that the
RAS would provide an additional source of good quality rented accommodation for those in need.
The local authority will enter into contractual arrangements with accommodation providers to
secure the medium to long-term availability of private rental accommodation for RAS. While
different contract types may be entered into, they will all contain the following elements:
• The local authority will pay the full rent to the landlord on behalf of the tenant
• The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2015 will govern the relationship between the landlord
and the tenant
• The landlord must be tax compliant (tax clearance certificate must be renewed annually and
contracts will be produced in the name that appears on the cert)
• The property must meet minimum standards for private rental accommodation, as
determined by the local authority
• The landlord must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
Long Term Leasing Scheme
Long Term Leasing (LTL) was introduced to cater for the accommodation needs of persons who
have a long term housing need. Properties are leased from private owners and used to
accommodate households from the housing waiting list.
Long Term Leasing involves a three-way relationship between the Landlord, Tenant and the Local
Authority. The form of the contract entered into will set out the general responsibilities of all three
parties. This is a separate scheme to the Rental Accommodation Scheme and is for property owners
who want long term guaranteed income but do not want to be responsible for the day to day
requirements of managing tenants or maintaining a residential property. In assessing the suitability
of a property for leasing, the Council will firstly consider the demand for social housing in the area
and its objective of achieving sustainable communities by having a good balance of mixed income
and mixed tenure households. LTL offers the landlord a guaranteed rental income without the
requirement of rent collection and finding a new tenant, tenancy management, and day to day
maintenance costs. Notably Leases under this scheme will range from a minimum of 10 to a
maximum of 20 years.
Compulsory Purchase
The acquisition of land by a Housing Authority through the use of CPO is set out in section 76 of the
Housing Act, 1966. Section 77 of the Act empowers Housing Authorities to compulsorily purchase
land that may not be immediately needed by the Authority if the purpose of the purchase is to fulfil
one of the Authority’s housing objectives, as laid out in section 55(3) of the Act. Of these
objectives, those listed in subsections 55(3)(b), 55(3)(c) and 55(3)(d) appear to be the most
pertinent to current housing requirements.
These include; (a) the elimination of overcrowding; (b) the provision of adequate and suitable
accommodation for persons (including elderly or disabled persons) who, in the opinion of the
authority, are in need of and are unable to provide such accommodation from their own resources;
(c) the provision of adequate housing accommodation to meet needs arising from obsolescence of
dwellings or the prospective increase in the population.
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Actions to address vacant private housing
From the initial assessment of vacancy from the Geodirectory database, it became clear that the
largest amount of vacancy exists in the private housing stock. The Council will initiate a number of
actions to address this vacant stock.
Town Centre Enhancement and Framework Plans
The Town Centre Planning Unit have initiated work on Town Centre Enhancement Plans in an effort
to regenerate and revitalise the core areas of many of the settlements in the County. This work is
being carried out in partnership with the Town Teams and relevant stakeholders in each
settlement.
In the study areas there are many instances where ground floor commercial units are occupied but
the spaces above the street, originally laid out as residences lie vacant. Historically these spaces
would have been the family homes which brought life and diversity to the Town centre up to the
mid 20th
century which saw the mass movement of residential communities away to suburban
areas and the countryside. While it would be naive to assume that all of the upper floor units,
originally laid out as residences could be returned to family occupation, some of these may be
suitable for those seeking to enter the housing market, couples or those who live alone. Others
may be suitable for amalgamation into a single family residence of sufficient scale to become an
attractive alternative to suburban single use pods as a family lifestyle choice, when taken in
conjunction with other initiatives such as public realm enhancements and green and blue initiatives
providing the access nature which underpins the suburban ideal.
Bringing back these units into productive use can be achieved by implementing the following:
• Remodel existing residential spaces as attractive but in many cases compact modern units.
• Amalgamate two or more smaller vacant residential units above ground floor level to form a
single high quality residential unit developed as an attractive alternative to a suburban
dwelling. In many cases this may involve the establishment of a profit sharing development
partnership between two or more property owners.
• Amalgamate existing upper storey residential space into a larger mid block residential
development forming either large townhouses or higher density residential housing scheme,
with associated amenity spaces and pedestrian access.
Figure 4: Adapting existing residential units
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Age Friendly Town Centre Housing
Older residents have a unique symbiosis with town centre life as they are typically proportionally
less likely to require large residential spaces or space intensive car parking. As a greater proportion
of older people engage with the street by foot rather than by car they are therefore also more
likely to frequent a range of smaller commercial units closer to home for midweek convenience
items rather than use larger single use retail anchors outside the town core. Town improvements
can mean that vacant homes in town centres become more viable for the older demographic.
Completion of Unfinished Housing Developments
Roscommon County Council are actively engaged, through the Unfinished Housing Developments
team, with developers to ensure completion in line with planning.
The Unfinished Housing Developments team has been working to resolve the unfinished housing
developments in the county in a number of ways including:
• Engaging with relevant parties to agree and implement Site Resolution Plans
• Pursuing enforcement action for non compliance with planning permission, where it has not
been possible to agree a solution
• Continuing to utilise the Framework for the Provision of Consultant Civil Engineering Services
on Unfinished Housing Development Site Resolution Projects (which was established in 2015)
as a procurement mechanism. Advanced stages of the Framework were undertaken in 2016,
resulting in Consultant Civil Engineers being appointed in 6 housing developments.
• Preparing a successful submission to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local
Government, resulting in an allocation of €224,468 to Roscommon County Council under the
National Taking in Charge Initiative, with the funds being allocated to nine specific housing
developments in order to bring them to a satisfactory standard capable of being taken in
charge. The Planning and Housing Departments will continue to liaise with developers and Approved
Housing Bodies to acquire, where appropriate, any remaining units in Unfinished Housing
Developments in the county.
Vacanthomes.ie
A link on Roscommon County Council’s homepage to www.vacanthomes.ie has been established.
This is a national website developed on behalf of the local government sector as a central portal for
individuals to (anonymously) register possible vacant properties in their area and alert Local
Authorities who can then follow up with the owners to see whether the house can be reused
quickly. This website should also provide some useful information and advice to property owners as
to what steps are currently needed to bring their houses back into use. The Council will also
regularly advertise in local media seeking expressions of interest from the owners of vacant houses
to bring them back into productive use.
Acquisition of sites
The Council will prioritise the acquisition of housing units that are vacant and are recorded on the
vacant property list including houses which may have been inspected as part of Derelict Sites
legislation. The Empty Homes Officer will make contact with the registered owners of all identified
vacant units to offer the suite of incentives to bring houses back into use. The acquisition of houses
will be an option available subject to delegated sanction and cost thresholds set out by the
Department.
Where agreement cannot be reached to acquire houses in certain locations that contribute to
urban decay or affect the sustainability of communities, the Council will consider use of
Compulsory Purchase powers in line with relevant legislation.
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Actions to address vacant social housing
Roscommon County Council carries out a range of housing functions to meet the accommodation
needs of those who are unable to do so from their own resources where possible. Social housing
supports are provided by the allocation of Council owned units and through the facilitation of
tenancies via the Rental Accommodation Scheme, Housing Assistance Payment, Long Term Leasing
and by implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2014-2018. Housing Stock is
increased by way of return of voids/derelicts, acquisitions, turnkey developments, unfinished
estates and construction projects depending on available finances and housing need. Other
functions include maintenance/improvement/energy upgrade works to Local Authority housing
units, homelessness, housing grants, inspections of private rented dwellings, administration of
Tenant Purchase and Choice Based Letting schemes. The delivery targets for Roscommon County
Council for 2017-2021 are outlined in Table 3.
Vacant housing offers significant opportunities to provide permanent homes for those that need
them most urgently. Local Authorities have a crucial role in both meeting the housing needs of
those most in need as well as enabling private home owners to bring their homes back into use for
social housing purposes.
In managing existing housing stock, a certain level of vacancy would be expected as a portion of the
units available for social housing will be vacant for repair works between tenancies. The length of
this vacancy can depend on the works required in the units as well as the speed at which new
tenancies are secured. Good practice would also require that a certain level of vacancy is
maintained to ensure availability to respond to those in urgent need of housing.
The administration of these vacancies, or voids, is a key aspect in achieving good practice in
housing management. Keeping voids to a minimum, ensures that applicants for housing are
accommodated as quickly as possible and existing tenants to not have to live adjacent to vacant
houses which may be subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour. In residential estates where
there are a large number of vacant properties, it leads to a sense on neglect and dereliction which
in turn leads to the physical and social decline of the area. The management of voids is also
significant from a financial perspective. Casual vacancy (pre-letting) works are carried out by RCC as
soon as possible in order to maximise use of stock and prevent houses from becoming voids.
Delivery Mechanism Units to be provided
LA Refurbishments (vacated and re-let) 200
Approved Housing Bodies 97
Turn-key 30
Individual acquisitions including Buy and Re-
new, CPO, unfinished estates 86
PPP/B2 Long-term-leasing 53
Direct Build 2
Part V 10
Total for 2017-2021 (estimate excluding re-
lets) 278
Table 3: Roscommon County Council 2017-2021 Delivery Target
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
The Council’s void management strategies are based on guidance and best practice advice from the
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government including ‘Managing Voids: Co-ordinating
the Monitoring & Repair and Allocation of Vacant Dwellings’ – Good Practice in Housing
Management Guidelines for Local Authorities – Department of the Environment 2001 and ‘Effective
Void Management in Ireland’ – Housing Agency 2017.
Prior to 2016, vacant units, particularly those in medium to low areas of demand awaited
confirmation of acceptance from a client prior to renovation. In 2016 Housing Section renovated a
backlog of 80 void properties and re-tenanted these. The list was gone through at the same time as
the works were completed and those refusing for a second time were suspended from the list. This
was the highest number of returned units achieved in recent years and brought vacancy rates
down to manageable levels.
The 2016-2017 voids programme has been completed and voids have been effectively eliminated.
Vacant stock has been reduced from approximately 10 % to 3.5% as a result. These units are
waiting to be sold or are unavailable due to anti-social behaviour or special designation e.g.
reserved as emergency accommodation units. While this programme can be seen as a success, its
continued operation will ensure that the housing stock is maintained to a high level while enabling
occupancy of the existing housing stock.
Roscommon County Council owns circa 1,400 housing units which represents 4.47% of total
housing stock in the county. In addition the Housing Associations own circa 178 units while 425
houses are rented under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and a further 168 through the
Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). This gives a total of almost 2,171 homes in County Roscommon
which are either directly or indirectly used for social housing purposes which represents 6.94% of
total housing stock in the county.
Roscommon County Council’s allocations procedure is based on its list of letting priorities with
particular emphasis on length of time on the list and matching applicants with appropriate
accommodation. Choice based letting (CBL) can be used for allocating social housing in a way that
can offer increased choice and involvement for applicant households in selecting a new home and
thereby reduces the likelihood of a refusal and ongoing vacancy in social housing stock.
Roscommon County Council has not rolled out Choice Based Letting (CBL) based on a short-term
assessment of resources versus benefit but acknowledges a longer-term assessment of this policy is
required. The Council will assess the CBL procedure with an aim to roll out the initiative in the
lifetime of this plan.
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Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021
Implementation of Action Plan and summary of actions
The Council will implement the following measures to monitor the progress in implementing the
Action Plan and addressing vacancy levels on an ongoing basis.
Objective 1 Assess the “real time” level of vacancy in County Roscommon
Action 1 Engage with local communities, Town Teams, Elected Members
and members of the public to identify vacant properties
Action 2 Accurately map the location and extent of vacant homes in the
County
Action 3 Initiate a programme for ongoing assessment of vacancy levels
Objective 2 Work with property owners in an effort to bring vacant proper-
ties back into use
Action 4 Identify the registered owners of the properties
Action 5
Contact the owners on the options and incentives available to
assist in bringing their properties back into use for private or
social housing purposes
Objective 3 Reduce the number of privately owned vacancy homes in the
County
Action 6
Undertake the preparation of Town Centre Enhancement and
Framework Plans to improve the core areas of urban settlements
in the County
Action 7
The Councils Housing and Planning Departments will liaise with
developers and Approved Housing Bodies to acquire, where
appropriate, remaining units in Unfinished Housing
Developments in the county
Action 8
Where agreement cannot be reached to acquire houses in
certain locations that contribute to urban decay or affect the
sustainability of communities the Council will consider use of
Compulsory Purchase powers in line with available legislation
Objective 4 Reduce the number of Council owned vacancy homes in the
County
Action 9 Continue to implement the void management strategy to
maintain the low level of voids in the county
Action 10
A comprehensive database of all dwellings will be maintained,
along with reliable procedures to ensure that tenants provide
adequate notice of their intention to vacate a dwelling and
systems to identify abandoned and illegally occupied dwellings
are maintained
Action 11 Facilitate the roll out of the Choice based letting initiative in the
lifetime of this plan
Who is
responsible
Empty Homes Officer
Empty Homes Officer
Empty Homes Officer
Empty Homes Officer
Empty Homes Officer
Town Centre Planning
Unit
Unfinished Housing
Developments Team,
Empty Homes Officer,
Housing
Department
Empty Homes Officer,
Corporate
Services
Housing
Department
Housing
Department
Housing
Department
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