City council to spend €35m on 92 Finglas homes

Concerns have emerged over Dublin City Council's plans to spend €35 million buying 92 houses and apartments in a single estate in the Finglas and Ballymun area of north Dublin.

The council has agreed to buy the homes in Hampton Wood at an average cost of more than €380,000 each, for social housing. The estate is just off St Margaret’s Road, which runs from Finglas to Ballymun, close to the M50 and Ikea.

A three-bedroom house is currently on sale in the same estate for €264,950, while a two-bed apartment has an asking price of €185,000. A four-bedroom house in Hampton Wood sold for €326,000 in recent months.

The council has agreed to buy six one-bed apartments, 33 two-bed apartments and 21 three-bed apartments, as well as 24 three-bed and eight four-bed houses from Dwyer Nolan Developments. The homes are under construction, with 30 expected to be completed by Christmas.

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Some disquiet

The council's head of housing, Brendan Kenny, said he realised there could be some disquiet about the purchase of such a large number of homes for council tenants in a single estate in an area dominated by social housing. However, he said the purchase would provide much needed housing, including accommodation for homeless families.

“We will manage the allocation process very carefully so there is a mix of transfers, of people coming from homelessness and hap. It will be very well integrated.”

Income mix

The council already has about 80 tenants in the estate. Local Fianna Fáil councillor Paul McAuliffe said while he welcomed the additional stock, the area needed a better income mix to sustain shops and other services.

“The council needs to be investing in affordable rental and purchase options here, so there is a broader income spectrum and we don’t end up in the situation as we did in Ballymun where we can’t attract the retailers.”

Independent councillor Noeleen Reilly said the purchase would provide "some relief" to families in the area on the housing list. However, she said she hoped the council had not been in competition with potential young buyers for the homes as this "drives up price" in the area.

The large estate, about 800 homes, which has been built in phases over the last decade, is beside the Ó Cualann co-operative housing estate where houses last year went on sale priced at €140,000-€150,000 for a two-bed, €160,000-€175,000 for a three-bed and €199,000-€214,000 for a four-bed.