Home grants "curtailed"

Published 25 Jun 2009 09:00 0 Comments

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Housing grants slashed by £1million

The Housing Executive intends to spend £7 million in Fermanagh in the coming year but is to 'significant curtail' its home improvement grants because of the economic recession.

Its Chief Executive, Paddy McIntyre, presented the District Housing Plan to Fermanagh District Council on Tuesday, explaining what the Executive intends to do in the county in the next 12 months.

He told the Council: 'We know that people in Fermanagh are impatient for better housing and so are we, but, as a public body, we must live within our means.

'The Private Sector Grants scheme has brought significant improvements in Fermanagh. We have seen levels of unfitness fall from 12.9 per cent in the 2001 House Condition Survey to 7.4 per cent in the 2006 House Condition Survey. In the past year 475 grants have been completed at a cost of £3.4 million in Fermanagh. This year we expect to spend £3.6 million on grants in Fermanagh,' he stated.

However, there will only by limited availability.

Mr. McIntyre explained: 'Our grants budget will be focused on those in greatest need and we are currently accepting applications for Disabled Facilities Grants and mandatory Repair Grants. At this time we will not be accepting any new Preliminary Enquiry Forms for Discretionary Grants, and staff have been writing to those who have already submitted forms. However, the information will be held on file, should funding become available.

'In general, costs incurred by householders to date will be fully recovered if their grant application is approved and the work has been satisfactorily completed,' he assured.

He said the emphasis would be on building new houses rather than repairing old ones.

'Everyone understands the hardship of the many families waiting for a home of their own in Fermanagh and new social housing is our top priority. We are working with housing associations to provide 93 new homes in Fermanagh in the coming year,' he stated.

He revealed that the number of homeless people in the county has dropped by 25 per cent, from 543 to 409, in the past year but added that there was no room for complacency.

He said the new Castle Erne building at the junction of the Tempo and Castlecoole Roads in Enniskillen is providing much-needed temporary accommodation and support to 11 families.

Mr. McIntyre described recent claims that the Executive was downgrading its services in Fermanagh as 'unhelpful' and said the changes which have been made are already showing dividends for the public.

The Executive"s South Area Manager, Eamonn McKeown, said it had spent £6.9 million in Fermanagh in the past year on improving its own properties and on private sector grants.

With 451 people on the waiting list: 'Our priority is to meet housing need in Fermanagh. One of the ways we intend to do this is to focus this year on providing more new social homes.'

Work started on 19 new homes at the end of March and the Executive is planning to begin building a further 93 during the year.

The Executive has 2,040 tenants in Fermanagh and earlier this year began maintenance work to 532 of their homes.

'While we have had to cut our housing maintenance improvement programme, we are able to programme planned maintenance to 164 homes in Fermanagh,' explained Mr. McKeown.

He said that in the present climate it is necessary to 'significantly curtail' grants. Across Northern Ireland the Executive expects to approve 2,000 grants this year compared to over 7,000 normally.

'In Fermanagh we expect to issue 178 approvals for Disabled Facilities Grants and statutory Repair Grants during the year,' stated Mr. McKeown.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 25 Jun 09

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