Over 1,200 people across the Shannonside region continue to be on waiting lists for social housing. The findings were revealed through a Freedom of Information request submitted by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín. A growing number of tenants are receiving supplements from their local authority to help them pay their rent. However, there were a total of 127 vacant council homes in the region in 2024. The figure comes at a slight decrease of 5% since 2023.
Longford is the county with the most number of vacant council houses, at 83. That is followed by 24 unoccupied homes in Co. Roscommon and 20 in Co. Leitrim. While there are 1,206 people across the Shannonside region on a waiting list to receive social housing, 1,493 are either on the Housing Assistance Payment or the Rental Accommodation Scheme. These schemes enable the local authority to draw up contracts with landlords to provide homes for people with a long-term housing need. Nationally, 68,991 people were on the list to receive social housing, while a total of 2,878 council homes remained unoccupied.
