Castlebar in affordable housing crisis

A lack of affordable housing is having a devastating impact in Castlebar, a local election candidate has claimed.

Donna Hyland, a Castlebar-based nurse and Sinn Féin local election candidate, said affordable housing is a key issue for people in the Castlebar area and across the county.

‘’We are seeing report after report about the scarcity of housing, increase in mortgage repayments and homelessness. I am concerned about the impact that the housing crisis is having locally.

“Last year, Mayo County Council conducted a survey with the public to ask for expressions of interest in affordable housing. That survey resulted in some 800 people in the county of Mayo expressing an interest in affordable housing provided by our local authority,” Ms Hyland commented.

She fears recruitment for healthcare staff in particular, is being hindered by the dearth of housing available in the county town. She said affordable housing should be a right and a necessity and not a ‘dream’ for hard-working families.

“It is highly likely that the lack of affordable housing and high rents is having a negative impact on our ability to retain workers not just in Castlebar but in the county of Mayo. If we take our local health service, for example, where there is significant need for the recruitment and retention of essential healthcare staff added with significant pressure on the local rental market.

“The recruitment of healthcare staff is costly and I believe recruitment could be undermined due to lack of available housing. Affordable housing in central areas like Castlebar should not be a dream for working families,” Ms Hyland stated.

She said she is taken aback by the lack of affordable housing projects that have been undetaken in Castlebar in recent years.

‘’Of course, lack of affordable housing affects many people in the Castlebar area. It is incredible to think that we have not had an affordable housing build by Mayo County Council in Castlebar since before 2009 and I question why we have no affordable housing stock when there is a clear need for it in our area,” said Ms Hyland.

She said Mayo County Council needs support to try and address the housing crisis in the county.

“If we are to have some hope of resolving the housing crisis then our local authority needs to be supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide affordable homes in our area,” Ms Hyland remarked.