Surging demand delays application portal for Cork City affordable housing scheme 

Cork City Council says where demand exceeds supply, the first 70% of homes will be offered on a first come, first served basis

An Illustrative image of the Newton Heights affordable housing estate, developed by Clancy and Lyonshall, which includes 37 social houses.  Picture: corkcity.ie 

Surging demand in the first advertised affordable housing scheme in Cork city has delayed the opening of its online application portal by a week.

Cork City Council said last night it has recorded more than 4,000 visits to the scheme’s website, since the first affordable homes in the new Newton Heights residential development were advertised on July 16.

The council said it has delayed the opening of the online application portal for the first of those affordable homes until next Tuesday, to give all interested applicants enough time to collate the supporting documentation required as part of the application process.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, said the reality is that this scheme is already oversubscribed before it's even launched.

There are thousands of families, couples and individuals crying out for affordable housing. We've been warning the Housing Minister for months that these targets are too low but these calls have fallen on deaf ears.

“There are people today who have spent the last month gathering documents, who are able to purchase and are ready to purchase an affordable home, but this delay is just another blow to them.”

Developers Clancy and Lyonshall have built 154 residential units in the new estate in Mayfield — 117 affordable homes, and 37 social houses.

The council will take a stake in the affordable homes, which means the two-bedroom homes will be available to buy from €217,500 by eligible applicants where the gross household income limit is below €71,100, while the three bedroom units will be on sale from €243,000 to applicants where the gross household income limit is set at €80,615.

Applicants must satisfy a range of other criteria, and have a raft of supporting documentation in place, and they have also been advised to have mortgage approval in place.

Where demand exceeds supply, the council says the first 70% of homes will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, with priority for the remaining 30% being given on a lottery basis to eligible applicants who have lived in the city for at least the last five years.

Further uncertainty

Meanwhile, there are fresh fears for the future of the proposed 1,000-unit Marina Quarter development in Cork’s south docklands, after Glenveagh Properties refused to comment on its plans for the site.

Glenveagh has also refused to comment on informed speculation that the site has been at the centre of off-market sale attempts in recent months.

The scheme has been described by many as a catalyst for the ambitious regeneration of the city’s vast docklands region.

Despite being granted planning in April 2021, there is no sign of construction starting.

Mr Gould said it is just too easy for developers to sit on such sites with planning.

“The vacant sites levy at 7% is just not an enough of a deterrent at the moment. We want to see that more than doubled to 15%,” he said.