As expected, there was huge demand when the application window opened for just one week, on Tuesday, December 10, and the Land Development Agency (LDA) has now confirmed that 2,215 applicants are eligible to go through to the lottery, which will take place early in the new year.
It means that the successful candidates will secure a new home at rents that are at least 25pc below market rates. The rents cover the cost of building, managing, and maintaining the apartments and the number of applicants who are going forward for the lottery is as follows:
216 applicants for 19 studio apartments, available to rent at €1,175 per month.
896 applicants for 40 one-beds, available to rent at €1,250 per month.
892 applicants for 107 two-beds, available to rent at €1,575 per month.
211 applicants for 29 three-beds, available to rent at €1,775 per month.
The demand for the new homes at the development, which was launched by Wicklow Taoiseach Simon Harris in September, is more accurately reflected in the total number of those that applied, 4,608, with more than half, 2,393, deemed ineligible.
The LDA explained that applications are ineligible for two reasons at this stage. The first is that the net income of the household involved doesn’t meet the relevant income thresholds. The second is that the size of the household involved in the application doesn’t match the size of the home they are applying for.
Cost rental offers a long-term, secure rental option that will contribute to the development of a sustainable housing market in Ireland and the aim is to provide choice across all tenures. There are strict rules when it comes to the application process so as to avoid over-occupation of a property.
Over-occupation is where more than two children are occupying one bedroom per household, or where two children, one of whom is aged 10 or more, of opposite sex are sharing a room. Only one application per unit type, per household is permitted. Anyone or any household applying multiple times for a single unit type, will be disqualified from the process. And the LDA pointed out that the 2,215 applicants may include duplicate applications which will be filtered out prior to the lottery.
The other point to note for those who were left disappointed having not reached the lottery stage, is that an application can only be made for the size of a property that matches a household’s needs.
And as with over-occupation, under-occupation is also something that will rule an applicant out. As a one-bed home will not be allocated to a family of two adults and one child, a two-bed home would not be allocated to a single adult.
The guidelines for the apartments were as follows:
Studio unit: suitable for a single person, or cohabiting couple.
One-bed unit: suitable for a single person, or cohabiting couple.
Two-bed unit: suitable for two adults, a cohabiting couple, a cohabiting couple and one adult, or cohabiting couple/lone parent with one or two children.
Three-bed unit: suitable for three adults, cohabiting couple and one adult, cohabiting couple with one or more children or lone parent with two or more children.
Four-bed unit: suitable for four adults, a cohabiting couple and two adults, a cohabiting couple with two or more children, or a lone parent with three or more children.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – December 19th
The other criteria concerned income, and an applicant had to clearly outline how they have reached the ‘Household Net Income Calculation’ with supporting documentation. Affordability is a key criteria and is measured as rent being no more than 35pc of your net income. This means the net household income is below €66,000 per annum for Dublin. Also, an applicant cannot be in receipt of any social housing supports (including Rent Supplement or HAP) and cannot own a property in Ireland or elsewhere.
Commenting on the scheme at the development, LDA chief executive John Coleman said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for renters to secure a high-quality apartment in a wonderful development. Our new tenants in Shanganagh Castle Estate will benefit from affordable rents and security of tenure. They will also live in a well-served and desirable location next to the sea, beside Shanganagh Park and close to both the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. There are a host of amenities and public transport options nearby and both Shankill and Bray are within easy reach.”
The estate involves a total of 597 houses and apartments including affordable purchase, cost rental and social homes, launched in phases. Phase one includes: 51 affordable purchase houses (applications closed); the 195 cost rental apartments and 35 social apartments.
The remaining 316 homes, all of which are apartments, will be made available in two subsequent phases in 2025.
