Applications open for the first Cost Rental homes in Laois
The homes will be offered for rent at a 27% discount to current market rents in the area
Applications for Laois' first Cost Rental homes opened on Wednesday morning, May 29.
Approved Housing Body (AHB), Clúid Housing, has delivered the 28 new Cost Rental homes in Portlaoise.The Maltings comprises 1 one-bedroom and 27 two-bedroom apartments.
The homes in this scheme will be offered for rent at a 27% discount to current market rents in the area, costing €944 per month for a one-bedroom and €1,162 per month for a two-bedroom.
Located just minutes walk from Portlaoise town centre and Portlaoise train station, these new ‘A’ rated apartments have the convenience of every amenity on offer in Portlaoise on their doorstep.
What is Cost Rental Housing?
Cost Rental is a new, secure form of rental housing tenure in Ireland, designed for people whose income means they don’t qualify for social housing or other support, such as HAP, but who still struggle to rent on the open market. All Cost Rental homes have their rents set at a minimum level of 25% below the local market rents. The rents in Cost Rental homes are set to cover the cost of construction, maintenance, and operation of the development, ensuring long-term affordability for residents.
To be eligible to rent one of these new Cost Rental homes, applicants must be able to prove:
Their net household income is below €59,000 per year They are not receiving any social housing supports, such as HAP or Rent Supplement They can afford the rent They don’t own a property The household is the correct size for the apartment
John Cotterell, Head of Housing Management, Clúid Housing, commented, “We are pleased to be the first AHB to provide Cost Rental homes for the people of Laois. Clúid already has a strong presence in the county, we provide a home to nearly 2,000 people in over 600 homes. These secure, high-quality newly constructed apartments are adding homes to the national stock and will enable people to put down roots in their community and create homes and thriving communities.”
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, on a recent visit to several new schemes in the county, including The Maltings, commented: “I’m delighted to be here in Portlaoise to see the wonderful homes being delivered through this strong partnership between Clúid and Laois County Council. With these 143 social and Cost Rental homes, we are not just adding to the total of homes being delivered, we are also, importantly, providing life-changing opportunities for hundreds of people in this county who need our support. With these new properties, more families will now have a secure, high-quality, affordable place to call home. As you can see, through the hard work of our local authorities and approved housing bodies, we are delivering in Laois – as we are, under Housing for All, throughout the country. We are not complacent however and we will continue to build on the positive momentum we have achieved to deliver even more for Laois and for Ireland.”