bernie@limerickpost.ie
THE LIMERICK social housing agency which found itself at the centre of a storm for buying apartments where families would have to be evicted, has resolved the issue for many concerned tenants.
And the good news for those who qualify for housing by the agency is that they now have homes for life.
Simon Mid West is at an advanced stage of negotiating to buy apartments at Fisherman’s Wharf, Grove Island, where it emerged that the company which bought the properties has served notice to leave on existing tenants.
Jackie Bonfield, general manager with Simon MId West said the agency was astounded to discover people would be evicted to accommodate their new tenants.
“We started into negotiations in the belief that these apartments were vacant,” said Ms Bonfield. “By the time we discovered that was not the case, we were in difficulty because we were contractually tied in at that stage”.
The agency manager told the Limerick Post that they have now met with tenants and are “able to accommodate many of them. We cannot go into individual details because of confidentiality, but we have been able to sort out a number of people who have been served with notice”.
And private landlords and auctioneers have “inundated” Simon with offers to help the Grove Island tenants who cannot be housed there by the agency.
“We have had such a fantastic, supportive response from people involved in letting property in the city and they have promised not to let us down in helping to find alternative accommodation,” she said,
“While this has been a very stressful situation for the tenants involved, the silver lining now is that those who can stay on when we buy the apartments will have a secure tenancy for life,” said Ms Bonfield.
It’s understood that most of the Grove Island tenants who were already on the waiting list for local authority housing or in receipt of Housing Assistance Payment would qualify for housing by the Social Housing Agency.
“Those tenants who cannot be helped by Simon at this time are now at least aware of us and we will do everything we can with the help offered by those in the letting business in the city to help them,” said Ms Bonfield.
Limerick-based company Munster Pensioner Trustees Ltd bought apartments at Fisherman’s Wharf in Grove Island and subsequently issued residents with notices to quit, stating that they must have vacant possession to sell the properties.
Tenants have vowed to fight the evictions, with one threatening to chain himself to the railings.
