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Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council have over the past number of years been involved in the provision of Affordable Housing. In the Sligo City area, Sligo Borough Council has sold 30 houses in Caltragh with Sligo County Council providing over 60 houses in Strandhill, Collooney, Grange, Ballintogher, Dromore West, and Enniscrone. The provision of these houses has been hugely beneficial to different categories of people i.e. housing applicants, tenants, tenant purchasers and first time buyers availing of the scheme. This scheme has proved vital to many people allowing them to take that first step on the housing ladder and achieve that major goal of owning their own property, a step which has been proving difficult to many people as a result of ever rising house prices. These houses have been provided under both the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme and the Part V Affordable Housing Scheme. Huge reductions have been available to successful applicants in the schemes, with many receiving as much as 50% discount on the sale price of the house compared to the market value. The houses have been completed to a very high standard with fitted kitchens, built in wardrobes, fireplaces, tiling and painting carried out in many of the properties.  There are two different types of affordable housing schemes, these are more commonly known as the 1999 Scheme & the Part V Affordable Housing.

With the 1999 Scheme, both Sligo County and Borough Councils have themselves built houses on land owned or acquired by them in the following areas,  Calltragh, Collooney, Ballintogher, Strandhill, Dromore West & Grange. In many of these areas, significant house price increases had created an affordability gap for lower income purchasers. Part V Affordable Housing came about from changes in Planning Law as a result of the Planning & Development Act 2000. The Act requires developers and builders who are applying for Planning Permission in certain zoned areas to set aside social and affordable houses as part of the development.

The eligibility criteria for the schemes are as follows;

An eligible person under Part V of the Planning & Development Act 2000 is defined as a person who is in need of accommodation and whose income is such that the payments on a mortgage would not exceed 35% of net monthly income. Mortgage finance for Part V affordable housing is now advanced by the following lending institutions, EBS Building Society, Bank of Ireland and IIB Home loans. However all applicants must be provisionally approved by the Local Authority before making a mortgage application to one of these.

It is anticipated that as a result of the Part V Affordable Housing Scheme, a select number of properties will become available in both the Sligo County and Borough areas over the next number of years. Areas where properties may become available are; Ballisodare, Ballymote, Carney, Collooney, Coolaney, Enniscrone, Grange, Strandhill, Sligo City & Environs. A number of 3-bedroom semi-detached properties are available in Highwood Park, Collooney.  Closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday 13th July. Applications for the schemes are currently available from both Local Authorities. If you wish to secure a property in the Sligo County area, please apply to Sligo County Council or alternatively for those interested in properties within the city of Sligo, please apply to Sligo Borough Council. So if you meet the above criteria and the prospect of a new property at a significantly reduced price appeals to you, then don’t delay and make an application.

All it will cost you is the €50 application fee and who knows you could be in your new home this time next year.

Further information and clarification on any of the above is available from Sligo County Council, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo on 9111302 or at Sligo Borough  Council, City Hall, Quay Street, Sligo on 9114485.