Half of Nama’s social housing units unsuitable

Almost half of the 2,000 social housing units promised by Nama will not be going to people on the housing list as they have been deemed unsuitable or have been withdrawn from the project.

There are more than 100,000 people on the housing list and the 2,000 houses promised six months ago had been warmly welcomed as a serious attempt at tackling the soaring numbers.

But, in a response to a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis, the Department of the Environment confirmed just 1,000 of the houses were suitable and negotiations are only under way for 700 of these homes.