Social housing loses out as landlords wait for NAMA deal

LANDLORDS and developers are sitting on properties and refusing to hand them over for long-term social housing schemes because they expect a better deal from NAMA, the Department of Environment admitted yesterday.

Shocked TDs with the Oireachtas Social and Family Affairs Committee were told efforts to get families off rent supplement and onto long-term social housing schemes were being hampered by landlords refusing to make houses and apartments available.

Up to 94,000 people are on rent supplement, however, in excess of half of these claimants have been getting payments for more than a year, a situation regarded as unsuitable by the department.