Housing and Accommodation 2003

Kilkenny County Council actively promotes all schemes available in the interest of providing housing accommodation to it's customers.

Affordable Housing

The affordable housing scheme at St. Kierans Crescent was completed in 2003. The overall project consisted of 83 houses and the final 15 houses were sold in 2003.
A housing scheme commenced in Graignamanagh in 2003 of four dwellings which will be sold as affordable.

47 Disabled Persons Grants were paid out to disabled persons to assist them in undertaking necessary renovation works.
31 essential repairs grants were paid to elderly persons to assist them with essential repairs to their dwelling.
Annual clean up of twelve local authority estates which included provision of bin tags, sacks etc.
A pilot project promoting bulky items collection was carried out in Bishop Birch Place and Newpark Close. This project is essential to good estate management.
Resident groups in Callan were assisted with tree planting.
An Estate Management Training Day was held in Hebron Park and Bishop Birch Place to inform residents of the role of Kilkenny County Council.
A Community Centre is planned for Bishop Birch Place and the drawing were agreed with residents.
Landscaping and cleaning works were carried out in Newtown Terrace, Thomastown, Church Avenue/Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer; Brndaon Park/Woodland Estate, Graignamanagh; Edmund Rice Estate/Collins Park, Callan. Emerald Gardens & St. Marys Avenue, Urlingford were also supported in the purchase of a lawnmower.
Management Training was commenced in Castlegardens, Ballyragget and Fr. Raftice Place, Moneenroe.

A total of €274,040 was expended on accommodation for homeless persons.
A total of €792,236 was paid and recouped in full for the accommodation of Asylum Seekers.
The Good Shepherd Centre which is funded by the Council provided accommodation for homeless men during the year and the Womens Refuge Centre provided support and accommodation to women and children rendered homeless as a result of domestic violence.

Schemes were completed and allocated at: Mooncoin (11), Slieverue (10), Johnstown (6) and Coon (3).
There was 47 casual vacancies during 2003.
One house was purchased on the open market for allocation.
99 houses were commenced on site under the Housing Construction Programme of which 74 remain under construction at 31st December, 2003.
4 Rural cottages were constructed and allocated to families on the housing waiting list.
Renovation works were undertaken on 4 private dwellings under the Improvement Works in Lieu of Housing Scheme.
5 local authority houses were extended under the Extensions Programme.

In 2003, 52 Shared Ownership loans were paid while 9 annuity loans were paid.
A total of 13 house improvement loans were paid out during 2003.
20 tenants purchased their homes under the Tenant Purchase Scheme with loans from Kilkenny County Council.
A total of €10.5 million expenditure was incurred in loans of which €1.6 million was in respect of affordable housing.

11 houses vacant at 31st December, 2003.
47 casual vacancies during 2003.
14 houses available for letting after minor repairs.
Average time taken to relet a dwelling: 9 days.
33 houses required major improvements eg. heating, replacement of windows & doors and redecoration. Average time taken to relet a dwelling: 5 months.

A total of 302 dwellings were registered with the Council as being privately rented and were entered in the register which is available for public inspection.
The annual registration fee is €50.79 and a total of €15,328 was collected.

2 projects consisting of 15 units of accommodation for the disabled were completed at Callan (7) and Kilkenny (8). Total expenditure incurred in 2003 for this sector was €1,800,000 (including projects under construction in 2003).
A scheme of 18 family type units by Cluid Voluntary Housing Association was completed in Callan. This Scheme was officially opened in October, 2003.

351 families assisted by the Housing Department under the various options of the Plan for Social Housing.
81 housing loans advanced.
78 housing grants were paid.
3 travelling families housed.
53 tenants purchased their dwelling under Tenant Purchase Scheme.