Fingal approves over €4.5m in vacant property refurbishment grants

To help bring vacant and underused buildings back into residential use across the region, Fingal County Council has now approved over €4.5 million in grant payments under the Croí Cónaithe scheme.  

By accessing funds available as part of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, Fingal is looking to provide new choices for people to live in urban and rural areas through the provision of a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant and\or derelict properties.  

This scheme, which has been running for about two years, aims to reduce the number of vacant properties that exist around the country and help breathe new life into areas. The €4.5 million in grant payments approved to date have been across 93 individual households located across the County. 

The grant amounts available under the Croí Cónaithe are there to support applicants to bring a property back into residential use. Up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, or properties which will be made available for rent. The grant can be increased by a further €20,000 if the property is deemed to be derelict (i.e. structurally unsound and dangerous).  

Director of Housing at Fingal, Paul Carroll, said: “Since the Refurbishment Grant was launched we have allocated some €4.5m to 93 households across the county. It is an important stream of funding that is not only helping broaden the number of homes available for our residents, but it is helping us to change the landscape of our towns, villages and rural communities by tackling unsightly vacancy and dereliction.”

Fingal’s Vacant Homes Office administers the grant on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There has been strong interest from the public across the County, with over 150 applications received since the scheme launched and it is expected that the number of applications and approved grants will continue to grow. 

For everyone who is interested to learn more about the scheme and how to apply for it, the Vacant Homes Team are contactable via [email protected] . The team will also be providing a presentation and an information stand at the upcoming Council Housing Information Event this Thursday (12 September) from 5pm to 8pm at the Carlton Hotel in Dublin 15. To register for the event go to: https://www.fingal.ie/housing-information-events.