Surveyors will now be tasked with making recommendations to the Housing Agency on the suitability of commercial buildings for repurposing as homes. This comes as the agency plans to hire consultants to advise local authorities whether commercial properties, large homes and hospitality buildings such as hotels and B&Bs can be used for social housing.
The state agency estimates that experts, builders and surveyors will inspect about 60 buildings nationwide every year, giving guidance on their suitability prior to being purchased.
The agency has said it will spend an estimated €500,000 per year on surveyors to examine large properties.
Existing homes inspected under the plan will have five bedrooms or more. Surveyors will make a recommendation on the suitability of the property for acquisition and/or future use for housing. A Housing Agency spokeswoman said they will receive a detailed condition survey of the buildings, and henceforth review of all aspects of ever property.
Experts will note “the essential repairs identified and the expected timelines to return the property into use. The ultimate suitability or repurposing options will be influenced by the survey results on each property surveyed. Because surveyors will make an overall recommendation on the suitability of the property for acquisition and/or future use for the provision of housing, not all surveyed properties will result in an acquisition.”
In April Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said local authorities had identified more than 500 vacant buildings capable of housing thousands of refugees from Ukraine. Separate assessments are being done on these buildings, many of which include community halls, former commercial or educational buildings and religious centres.