What did he do?
One story on the local papers caught my eye this week. The Limerick Leader carries the story of 233 complaints being received by Limerick City council concerning local authority housing. Arising from those complaints, just one person was evicted.
At a meeting of the city’s joint policing committee, housing official Donal Moore informed those present that a total of 233 complaints have been received to date in 2009. 185 of the complaints had been resolved. Arising from those complaints over 300 people, have been interviewed by council staff during investigations of the complaints.
Mr Moore outlined the breakdown of statistics arising from those complaints
- 22 tenants were issued with written warnings
- 25 received verbal warnings about their future behaviour.
- 9 local authority tenants were served with notices to quit (8 surrendered their keys to the council)
and just one lone tenant was served with an eviction and exclusion order.
In my humble opinion, Limerick city housing is a ticking time bomb. There appears to be no co-ordinated strategy around housing and re housing people. The provision of rent supplement and the desire by under pressure land lords to rent to just about anybody is resulting in an increase in anti social behaviour in previously “quiet” areas of the city.
Limerick City council is taking a tough line on anti social behaviour with 4% of complaints this year resulted in notice to quit. Against that, the Supreme court is currently ruling on a Dublin case where a family is appealing an eviction order for anti social behaviour. As regeneration moves forward there is a genuine fear in Limerick city as to how the re housing of certain people will affect and impact their estates.