A rare glimpse of Mayo housing hope

But it's still a topsy-turvy world: homeless people in hotels and tourists in homes

by Caoimhín Rowland

Mayo’s housing crisis presents a bleak reality, but the county’s Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on housing offers a rare glimmer of hope.

Under cathaoirleach Peter Flynn’s leadership, the committee - comprising councillors, lay representatives, and local authority staff - is striving to meet the intense housing demand.

It’s early days, but there’s a sense of determination to tackle vacancy and dereliction head-on.

Last May, when Fine Gael launched their local election manifesto at the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide, their choice of venue was as audacious as it was symbolic.

The party who have governed over a lack of home building not seen across Europe have now chosen to champion a cause many believe was their own making.

Housing was proclaimed as their top priority, and all the party brass were on hand to trumpet their vision.

Since then, Flynn, to his credit, has carried the spirit of Davitt’s words from Straide to Castlebar, across from the Imperial Hotel to the Annex Room in the Castlebar Municipal District room where the SPC has begun its work in earnest.

Standing still, Mayo already has enough housing stock to meet demand, with just under 9,000 vacant homes and thousands more tied up in Airbnb and holiday properties.

The challenge isn’t just building more, it’s making better use of what we have. Yet, the constitutional right to private property and the absence of political will for a referendum on housing rights leave few options for penalising owners of vacant properties.

Fortunately an appetite for by-laws and policy from this committee show that the bit is between the teeth from our local political representatives.

It’s been noted in particular for those living in rural tourism hotspots from Louisburgh, Achill and Belmullet, who are particularly feeling the pinch, witnessing an explosion of short term holiday lets, holiday homes and a total lack of long term accommodation for locals who want to put down roots where they were born and raised.

Initiatives like the Croí Cónaithe grant and the SEAI, offering up to €103,000 for bringing vacant homes back into use, are necessary and vital tools to enact change across the blightened landscape of dereliction in Mayo.

No real excuse can exist in terms of capital for homeowners anymore, but incentives appear to no longer be cutting it. We need something harsher to ensure landlords use their property before they lose it.

However, real change requires grassroots efforts. Communities must identify vacant homes, trace owners, and uncover the reasons behind vacancy.

It’s often multi-faceted. I know this from mapping in Addergoole. Often times local people emigrate with an emerald tinged dream of returning but don’t.

There is probate too, of course, but most often it’s paralysis, a state of anxiety of not wanting to sell due to it being in the family for so long but lacking the will and energy to embark upon a lengthy and arduous process of applying for grants and chasing contractors and tradespeople when you already have a principal primary residence.

Fortunately, there is no greater unifying issue across Mayo’s political divide than the fight against dereliction, but troubling trends persist.

While vacancy rates are falling, the number of holiday homes is climbing - a worrying paradox that must be tracked. We must look to engage with local GAA clubs to work with them to offer players, club members and locals the option and opportunity to purchase homes in their own parish.

The proliferation of entire homes on Airbnb poses a clear threat to Mayo’s housing stock.

Airbnb began as a platform for renting out a room or two in a primary residence to make a quick buck, but it’s evolved into a free-for-all for those running de facto hotel franchises.

This shift needs urgent attention, laws need to be expedited and registration with Fáilte Ireland for these lets needs to come into force.

In areas like Westport, a designated Rent Pressure Zone, regulations cap rent increases at 2% and require Airbnb properties to be registered.

However, enforcement is sorely lacking, largely due to limited resources. Perhaps the SPC should rebrand as a Strategic Enforcement Committee, focusing on sourcing resources to tackle dereliction and enforce housing laws.

The stick, as well as the carrot, is needed to bring homes back into use. It would save independent councillor Harry Barrett from going to war with CEO Kevin Kelly in the new year as both hopefully will come to a Christmas détente.

The lack of enforcement is a recurring theme in Irish housing policy. Derelict sites registers are woefully incomplete, and proposals for a ‘vacancy czar’ in each electoral area have yet to materialise.

While grant schemes are welcome, their impact is dulled by a lack of oversight, follow-through and personnel. This enforcement vacuum undermines efforts to restore life to Mayo’s empty homes.

As Christmas approaches, the realities of the housing crisis hit harder.

Over 150 people in Mayo are in emergency accommodation, while holiday homes stand idle and tourists sleep in houses that could provide shelter for local families. It’s a topsy-turvy world: homeless people in hotels and tourists in homes.

The journey ahead is daunting, but Mayo has a chance to lead by example. By focusing on vacancy, bolstering enforcement, and mobilising resources, the SPC can help turn this grim reality into a brighter future.

It’s a tall order, but with determination, the county might finally achieve the change it so desperately needs.

It’s high time the stick is taken out after years of incentives brought forward. The carrot is needed for Rudolph this Christmas.