Just 16 social houses completed in Kilkenny this year: report

Just 16 houses completed in Kilkenny so far this year are destined for social housing.

These 16 social houses represent just 7.9% of all homes completed so far in the county this year.

No social houses have been completed in Kilkenny city this year, figures published by Rebuilding Ireland in their Social Housing Construction Status Report for 2019.

The 16 completed homes were built in Friary Walk, Callan and constructed by Cluid Housing.

Last week, KilkennyNow.ie revealed that 203 homes have been completed across the city and county up until October 1. These latest figures show just 16 of these homes are earmarked for social housing.

Currently, 32 social housing developments are either in the planning stage or on-site, in Kilkenny city and county.

Out of these developments, 135 social houses began the construction stage in 2019. These houses are in Piltown, Castlecomer, Callan, Kilmacow and Kilkenny city, according to Rebuilding Ireland.

This morning, at a Kilkenny County Council monthly meeting, local Green Party Councillor Malcolm Noonan was refused permission to raise an issue in regards to social housing.

Cllr Noonan wanted to put forward a motion that would see half of all the accommodation in the new Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny being set aside for social housing. However, his motion was not heard.

The Rebuilding Ireland report says in 2018, 4,251 new build social housing homes were delivered nationally– an 85% increase on the 2,297 new builds in 2017. The target for 2019 is to build 6,200 new social homes.

By the end of Q2 2019, 2.358 new social homes have been provided nationally.