Donegal sets the pace in Vacant Property Refurbishment with record Grant Scheme uptake

At a special plenary housing meeting held today, Donegal County Council outlined significant progress and future plans regarding the county’s housing strategy.

The meeting focused on multiple housing capital updates and specifically highlighted the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme, a key initiative that is helping to tackle vacant properties and dereliction throughout Donegal.

Donegal is leading the country with the highest uptake in the Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme.

The local authority has received 931 applications to date, with 66% of them approved, including 16 from the county’s islands.

The grants paid under this scheme have already reached a value of €3.04 million, with 59 grants distributed to date.

The scheme enables Donegal County Council to purchase and refurbish vacant housing units, ensuring they are suitable for social housing, while also supporting urban renewal and the improvement of streetscapes across towns and villages.

One of the core benefits of the program is its flexibility, offering property owners the option to lease or sell their homes, providing a much-needed injection into the local housing market.

Cllr Declan Meehan praised the scheme for its effectiveness in addressing long-standing issues of vacancy and dereliction in Donegal’s rural and urban areas.

He said: “The vacant property grant scheme, I think is fantastic. It is tackling an issue that we all know and we hear every single day of the week in our towns and villages. It’s tackling the issue of dereliction and vacancy and that’s a blight on the face of our towns and villages across the county.”

Meehan also emphasised the importance of combining this scheme with more direct efforts to build new social housing units.

“To see a potential investment of €35 million into tackling exactly that, I think, is very, very welcome, but we can’t throw our hat in solely on that post. We have to combine and partner that with the building of social houses, and I know that that is a process.”

Despite the positive developments, Meehan voiced concerns about the housing pipeline in the Milford area, noting a shortfall in planned units compared to the significant demand.

“The Milford area has 10 houses in the pipeline. We have a need of 106 units. We need to ramp that up,” Meehan urged.

Alongside the vacant property initiative, the council also introduced a new free service called “Find Me a Home in Donegal.”

This service is designed to connect vacant property owners with potential buyers. The council will maintain two lists.

One for potential buyers and one for property owners willing to sell. When a match is identified, the two parties will be put in touch to negotiate the sale.

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