Councillor welcomes affordable housing moves
The Alliance's model of cooperative affordable housing, which is in train in Poppintree in Dublin, was the subject of a public meeting in Kilcullen recently.
Cllr Wall, speaking about his motion at Council on the urgent need for affordable housing initiatives in the county, noted that there are banks of Council land 'almost in every village and town in the county'.
"In the absence of a national affordable housing scheme, we must look at other models," he said, adding that he had received a presentation on the O Cualann project which is providing homes to members at prices 30pc below the current market levels.
"Because of the low qualifying limits for Housing Assisted Payments or Social Housing in the region,to a maximum income of €36,000, many individuals and couples cannot get onto the social housing ladder. Instead they face growing private rental charges that are spiralling out of their reach."
Cllr Wall said the O Cualann model could provide for those who are working but find the growing majority of their income is spent on a house that they will never own. He said he will support any new schemes that want to begin building new communities in the county.
