Cork County Council is requesting prospective affordable housing applicants to complete a short survey with the collated results informing the delivery of future schemes and eligibility requirements. First time buyers and other applicants who feel they may be eligible to buy or rent an affordable home are invited to complete the survey on the Council’s website www.corkcoco.ie
The survey will provide information about income levels, family size, disability and other relevant details. Cork County Council will then use the information gathered to target the development of future affordable housing schemes across the county and make informed decisions about design and location.
Cork County Council is actively pursuing the development of affordable housing for sale and rent at a number of locations under the Government’s ‘Housing for All’ plan. These schemes help people on low to moderate incomes to buy or rent their own homes.
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Gillian Coughlan welcomed the survey saying, “It is vital that future affordable housing developments meet the demands and needs of the people who are eligible to apply. We need to know the size and accessibility of the homes we should be building and where they should be located. That can only be determined by surveying the very people who wish to live in these homes. It is a short survey, taking only four minutes to complete. I would encourage everyone who feels they may be eligible for an affordable home to please fill it in.”
The ‘Affordable Purchase Scheme’ is open to first-time buyers and ‘Fresh Start’ applicants who meet certain income, property and residency criteria including that 3.5 times their gross income does not exceed 85.5% of the market value of the house they are seeking to acquire. Income limits of €65,000 for single applicants or €75,000 for joint applicants currently apply.
‘Fresh Start' applies to people who are divorced or separated and have no interest in the family home, or people who have undergone insolvency proceedings.
Applicants are eligible to apply for a cost rental home where their household income, excluding PRSI, income tax, USC and superannuation, does not exceed €53,000 per year.
The survey is now available on Cork County Council’s website and will be open for six weeks.
