An Athlone councillor is urging Westmeath County Council to amend their county development plan to allow for modular housing.
Councillor Frankie Keena says he has been receiving calls from parents of children who can't afford to move out concerned with the price of housing in the area.
The Fianna Fail representative called on the local authority at a recent council meeting to allow for the provision of log cabin modular homes in gardens subject to certain conditions.
He says that more housing is needed and this should help to reduce house prices.
''There's people out there living in box rooms that need urgent repairs and responses, they need to be able to get their own home and there's overcrowding in houses. I think we need to be looking at other avenues to provide housing because every bit will help. By providing extra houses, it's like supply and demand if there's a supply of houses then they cater for the demand and house prices and shouldn't go up.''
