Council shifts focus as demand rises for smaller properties

Mayo County Council is shifting its focus from building three-bed family homes to developing one and two-bed properties.

Director of Housing Tom Gilligan told members of the council’s housing strategic policy committee (SPC) that the demand for smaller homes has been recognised and the focus is now changing from traditional estate developments.

He was responding to committee chair Cllr Peter Flynn who said the biggest demand for housing in Mayo is for one and two-bed properties.

"What really frustrates me is it is clear the predominant demand is for one and two-bed houses yet as a council we continue to build estates that are primarily three-bed houses. 

"I would even expect the demand for one and two-beds to be on the rise because there are more people separating and having domestic issues, so how do we get away from this traditional building of large estates, which have no housing mix within them, and start building to meet the real need that is there?” 

Head of Housing Olivia Gallagher told members that a total of 1,071 households are seeking housing from Mayo County Council, 39% of whom applied for one-bed properties and 42% for two-bed properties, with 16% seeking three or four-beds and less than 1% seeking five or six-beds. 

She added that in terms of capital delivery in 2024, 47% of units were one and two-beds, while 49% were three-beds.

Ms Gallagher said that 65% of the new council houses to be developed in Mayo from now until 2027 will be one and two-beds and 28% three-beds. She also noted that the renewal of derelict properties will be targeted at “those units that provide for one and two-beds rather than the larger properties".

Cllr Flynn said there while there were over 1,000 applicants on the council's housing list, the data also gave hope as the picture is not as bad as many think, adding: “It is roughly 2% of our population in Mayo that is in need of housing.” 

SPC member Niall Dunne, manager of Mayo Mental Health, said he worried about one-bed units and also about congregated settings of housing types. 

“It is fine until something goes wrong and then when it does you have everybody wanting to move out. So for one-beds, maybe a bit more scoping could be done, such as looking at age profiles, why people are moving there and what are the opportunities there because such housing settings can also turn into a lot of issues,” he said.

Cllr Neil Cruise said he thought one-bed houses were very limited and that two-beds offered a far better option, no matter what stage of life a person is at, saying: “Even elderly people living alone may need a carer living in.” 

The senior architect with Mayo County Council, Simon Wall, commented that historically, two-bed units were “always the smallest you would build”, adding: “This would allow for one occupant and maybe a visitor, but in recent times, applications are coming in for one-beds so development is being dictated by that.”