Bid to seize vacant houses in Waterford to combat crisis

Waterford councillors have called on the local authority to consider seizing derelict properties under Compulsory Purchase Orders to combat the county’s housing crisis.

A motion tabled by Cllr Mary Roche (Ind) and a similar joint proposal by Fianna Fáil councillors Jason Murphy and Adam Wyse raised the measure at July’s plenary meeting.

Ms Roche said: “Effectively he is suggesting that instead of Nama selling off huge tracts of property at low market value to vulture funds, the State could purchase them at similar prices for social housing.