This article is from page 4 of the 2012-07-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
YOUNG mothers in the county are facing homelessness as cuts to their rental accommodation supplement means they can no longer pay their rent.
In Ennis, a young mother, who recently lost her husband, said that she has to move house as she can no longer pay the rent.
Her rental support has been significantly cut and she cannot make up the difference and meet all her bills.
She told The Clare People that the landlord is not able to reduce the rent cost so she must move.
Finding a new home for her young family on her budget is proving difficult, however.
Making rental payments is not just an issue in the county town.
Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) from Shannon said he has been approached by a number of people in a similar situation.
“One was a young mother that just didn’t know what to do.
“The average cost of a three-bedroom house in Shannon is between € 500 and € 550 per week but, in the last number of months, people have been told that they must ask their landlords to bring the rent down to between € 450 and € 475,” he said.
“The landlords cannot bring down the cost because they have mortgages and other charges to pay.”
He said he was approached by a number of people who will not be able to afford their rent and fear homelessness.
The town and county councillor said the housing issue was further compounded as the local authority and HSE is now “totally reliant on the private sector to provide homes as our (the council’s) capital funding was removed.”
He said, “Clare County Council will take house clusters as part of the Rental Accommodation Scheme, but it seems reluctant to take just one house.”