Council gets award for delivering 44 affordable homes in Athlone and Moate
Westmeath County Council has been given an award for surpassing its affordable housing targets by delivering 44 such homes in Athlone and Moate in the last two years.
On February 26 last, the annual Local Authority Affordable Housing Staff Seminar took place in Dublin. At the event, Andrew Macken, senior architect with Westmeath County Council, was presented with an award "to acknowledge the council's delivery response to the targets set under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme".
The affordable purchase scheme aims to help people on moderate incomes to buy new homes by offering them at prices that are lower than the market rate.
The first affordable homes delivered by Westmeath County Council involved nine units at Bower Hill, Athlone, in 2023, in conjunction with Ardent Properties.
Since then, Westmeath County Council have also delivered 22 affordable units at Gort an Locha, Moate, in conjunction with Fitzpatrick & Heavey Homes, and 13 units in Dún an Rí, Athlone with Castlestar.
At the Bower Hill, Athlone, development the minimum purchase prices of houses offered under the affordable purchase scheme ranged from €241,000 to €298,000.
At the Dún An Rí development in the Coosan area, the affordable purchase homes were priced from approximately €238,000 to €300,000, and at the Gort an Locha estate in Moate the affordable homes started at €229,500.
Commenting on the council's award, Cathaoirleach, Cllr Liam McDaniel, said: "The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme is a brilliant support out there to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder, and I am thrilled that Westmeath County Council have received this award, that acknowledges the hard work of the staff involved in surpassing the targets set for the scheme in our county."
In return for the below-market-rate prices offered under the affordable purchase scheme, Westmeath County Council takes a percentage equity stake in the Affordable Home, equal to the discount of the purchase price from the full market value of the home.
Westmeath County Council said its staff, and staff in the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, were currently working with developers to make affordable purchase units available for qualifying applicants in upcoming developments in Westmeath.