Wexford County Councillor Jim Codd is calling for immediate action from the Minister for Housing to increase Wexford’s housing acquisition budget, warning that the current funding is insufficient to meet the scale of the crisis facing local communities.
Speaking to South East RadioNews Cllr Codd highlighted that the county's €6 million budget for 2025, earmarked for the purchase of second-hand homes, is expected to deliver just 20 to 23 homes across the entire county. This budget must also cover housing needs for people with disabilities, tenant-in-situ schemes, and those facing homelessness—placing enormous pressure on already-stretched resources. “This €6 million may sound like a lot,” said Cllr Codd, “but when you break it down, it barely scratches the surface. We are contacted every day by families and individuals on the brink of homelessness. If we had the flexibility and funding, we could buy the very homes these people are living in—and prevent a crisis before it happens.” He criticised the lack of targeted investment in rural areas, arguing that while towns like Wexford and Gorey are seeing some development, rural districts are being left behind. “If we want to keep our rural villages alive, we need the money to acquire second-hand homes where people are at risk of losing their homes. Right now, that’s simply not possible under the current budget.” Cllr Codd is now urging the Minister for Housing Wexford TD James Browne to ensure that his home county receives the flexibility and increased funding it urgently needs to respond to daily housing emergencies and prevent further social dislocation.
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