A family who paid a €5,000 deposit nearly two years ago to secure an affordable home in north County Dublin now faces homelessness within weeks due to repeated delays in the completion of the development.
The issue centres around 52 affordable homes in Hayestown, near Rush, which were due to be completed by September 2023. However, more than half the properties remain unfinished, leaving dozens of buyers in limbo.
One affected family of five, who vacated their rental home last October in anticipation of moving into their new house, say they have now run out of temporary housing options and could be without a roof by the end of July.
The homes were offered by Fingal County Council under the Affordable Purchase Scheme in May 2023, part of the Government’s broader housing strategy aimed at making homeownership accessible to low- and middle-income earners.
Applications opened the following month for two- and three-bedroom homes priced between €228,000 and €299,500, offering discounts of up to 22% on market value. Income thresholds were capped at €60,000 for two-beds and €72,000 for three-beds.
The estate was to be delivered in three construction phases, with the final phase expected to be completed in late 2024. But delays quickly set in, with conflicting explanations provided to frustrated buyers.
Developer Manley Homes initially attributed setbacks to adverse weather conditions in late 2022 and early 2023. Later, in mid-2023, buyers were told that a delay in securing ESB electricity connections was the issue.
However, an ESB spokesperson refuted that claim, stating there had been no hold-up on their part. “Our technicians attended the site in June 2023, but the site was not ready for the required works,” the spokesperson said.
Another hurdle arose in December when Manley Homes allegedly informed buyers that VAT-related matters involving the council were holding up sales. Fingal County Council rejected this assertion, saying it was not obstructing any transactions.
The family, facing imminent homelessness, said they had given notice to their landlord in 2023, believing their purchase would be completed on time. “We thought we were fine. We had a deposit paid, and the house was supposed to be ready,” one parent said.
When delays dragged on, their landlord allowed them to stay temporarily, but by October last year, they were forced to vacate as the property was sold.
Since then, they have relied on extended family and friends for accommodation. “That arrangement ends this month. We have nowhere else to go, and we still don’t know when we’ll get the keys to our own home,” they said.
The couple said they would have reconsidered applying to the scheme had they known about the extent of the delays and the lack of transparency in the process.
Manley Homes did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Irish Times.
A limited number of homes in phase one were handed over to buyers just before Christmas, with further completions occurring in early 2024.
But several buyers of the remaining 27 homes in phases two and three say their sales are still stalled. They were told compliance issues with building control regulations were the latest roadblock.
This week, Fingal County Council confirmed that Manley Homes had resolved the building control issues affecting the second phase. The council said it is now “prioritising the next steps” to facilitate the sale of 18 houses in that batch.
However, work on the final phase of nine homes remains incomplete. The council said the developer is currently preparing to apply for building control certification for these properties.
One buyer awaiting completion in phase three said her family, including her husband and three children, are also on the brink of homelessness if the sale does not close soon.
Editing by M10News Housing Desk | Contact: info@m10news.com
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