Empty and over-shop house units to be forced into use

New laws to use over-the-shop premises as residences, to set up a special empty-homes unit, and to appoint dedicated officers to progress ‘vacant hot-spot’ areas are among plans to improve housing.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy says the moves will dovetail with a ‘carrot’ approach to filling empty units, under budget plans.

Measures to utilise Ireland’s 189,000 empty homes are proceeding, ahead of a new vacant-homes strategy to be unveiled next month.

There are growing calls for the housing crisis to be declared a national emergency. Housing Agency CEO John O’Connor also says the crisis will lead to a “lost generation” and hundreds of “hollowed-out communities” in the coming decades.

Mr Murphy today announces several key actions to utilise vacant housing stock. These include:

• A dedicated empty-homes unit in his department to coordinate actions at central government and to support local authorities;
• The appointment of vacant-homes officers to examine Census data on homes and to prioritise “vacant hot-spot” areas for use;
• A website to log vacant homes. Users can alert authorities on vacanthomes.ie;
• Faster maintenance and upgrading of properties and faster turnaround of vacant social housing stock, including quicker identification of new tenants;
• The quick enactment of exemptions to allow vacant commercial units and over-the-shop premises to be used as residences without planning permission;
• Adjustment of terms in the Fair Deal nursing home scheme to encourage greater use of vacant properties for those in nursing homes.

Mr Murphy also hinted that owners could face penalties for not utilising vacant stock. He previously told the Irish Examiner these penalties would be part of October’s budget.

“As I’ve said before, there’s going to be a carrot-and-stick approach to this, which will be finalised in the coming month or so,” he said. “People with property interests need to be made aware that we are moving quickly on this.”