Homelessness Risk: Dublin Estate Delays
Affordable Housing Scheme Plunges Buyers into Uncertainty and Potential Homelessness
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An affordable housing scheme in Fingal County, ireland, intended to provide homes for first-time buyers, has been plagued by delays, leaving some purchasers facing homelessness. Originally slated for completion in the third quarter of 2024,the development has seen a series of setbacks,with buyers reporting a lack of clear dialog and shifting explanations from developer Manley Homes.
Initial Promise and Rising Concerns
Applications for the two and three-bedroom houses opened in mid-June 2023, offering prices between €228,000 and €299,500 - a discount of up to 22 per cent on market values. Income limits were set at just under €60,000 for two-bedroom applicants and up to €72,000 for those seeking three-bedroom homes. The scheme was planned in three phases,promising a much-needed chance for affordable homeownership.
However, almost promptly after construction began, concerns began to surface. Buyers began contacting The Irish Times within a year, reporting a cascade of delays and inconsistent explanations.
A Timeline of Delays and Conflicting Explanations
Initially, Manley Homes attributed delays to adverse weather conditions in late 2022 and early 2023. A subsequent delay in July 2023 was blamed on difficulties securing electricity connections. Though, an ESB spokesman refuted this claim, stating there were “no delays on our part,” and that technicians were ready to finalize work but the site wasn’t prepared.
Further complications arose in December 2023, when buyers were informed that sales couldn’t proceed until the council released VAT payments related to its stake in the houses. Fingal County Council swiftly denied this, asserting they were “not preventing [sales] from completing in any way.”
While a small number of buyers in phase one received keys before Christmas 2023, and more completed sales followed in early 2024, those awaiting homes in phases two and three faced continued uncertainty.
Building Control Issues and Ongoing Distress
The primary obstacle for phases two and three became compliance with building control regulations. Buyers were told this was the reason for the continued delay in finalizing their purchases.
Recently, the council announced that Manley Homes had “resolved the outstanding issues with Building Control for the second phase of homes,” and that the sale of these 18 properties woudl be prioritized. However, phase three, comprising nine homes, remains unresolved, with the developer preparing to submit a new application for building control certification.
Facing Homelessness: A Family’s Desperate Situation
The delays have had devastating consequences for some buyers.One family, awaiting completion of their purchase in phase three, is now facing homelessness at the end of the current month.
“Our landlord gave us notice in October 2023 as he wanted to sell, but we thought that was okay because we had paid the deposit for the house and we were due to move in the following August,” the buyer explained. Despite the landlord extending their stay beyond the initial termination date, the family was ultimately forced to move out in October 2023 when a buyer was found for the property.
Now reliant on the generosity of family and friends, their temporary accommodation is no longer available. “We are out of time. In two weeks we will be homeless, with no line of sight for when we might potentially be able to move into our home. if we knew this is what the affordable homes were managed like, we would have never applied.”
Developer Silence
Despite repeated requests, Manley Homes has not responded to comment on the situation. The ongoing delays and lack of communication have left buyers in a precarious position,questioning the viability of the affordable housing scheme and the future of their homeownership dreams.