‘Drugs den’ in Nenagh estate
The Housing First initiative has been labelled an “absolute failure” after a troublesome resident was moved into a Nenagh estate occupied mostly by elderly people. The Government initiative seeks to tackle homelessness by providing permanent affordable housing for people experiencing particular challenges, such as mental ill health and substance misuse. But local councillors claim that Housing First has resulted in a serious problem in Nenagh, where an individual involved in the scheme has been accommodated in what Cllr Séamie Morris described as a “quiet estate” that was “built for elderly people”.
Raising the matter at the July meeting of Nenagh Municipal District, Cllr Morris said the individual in question has been arrested five times since the house was allocated under the scheme.
The house is “being used as a drugs den” and the situation has caused great difficulty for the other residents of the estate, he said.
Despite making numerous representations, Cllr Morris regretted there was nothing he could do about the situation as it involved Focus Ireland, as opposed to Tipperary Co Council. He wanted to know how anyone could deem it “fine” to give a house to the individual in question in such an estate. Cllr Morris called on the council to immediately stop signing over houses to Housing First because he said the scheme is being “abused”. He warned when the initiative was first presented that it would cause trouble - “and by God did it”, he remarked.
BREAK-IN
Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh spoke of canvassing the estate in question during the local election campaign and of feeling “so sorry” for the people living there. She said a number of residents had to get double or triple locks for their doors; one elderly person had their home broken into and items were stolen.
Cllr Morgan Walsh urged the council to ensure that such a situation does not happen again. Cllr John Carroll hit out at the “tiny minority” of residents causing antisocial behaviour problems in estates, and of the lacking laws to deal with them.
He mentioned one case where an individual was arrested in an estate only to return there a few hours later "like nothing ever happened".
While he appreciated garda resource issues, Cllr Carroll expressed concern that "community policing is not happening. We're going to lose control of our estates and our streets," he said, adding that the problem is "getting worse".
NUISANCE PEOPLE
Cllr Carroll also spoke of reluctance among other residents to report antisocial behaviour because "they think they're seen as a nuisance person". He called for a "ruthless" approach to those abusing state housing provision.
Senior Executive Officer Shane Grogan said he was not aware of the particular case in Nenagh but that he would look into it. Housing First is a Government policy dedicated towards individuals living in particular circumstances and consequent needs. It normally involves a six-month lease.
Mr Grogan said the council can seek an exclusion order in cases where antisocial behaviour is happening.
Estate Manager Breda Ryan said the council encourages people to contact its customer services desk to make antisocial behaviour complaints where its housing stock is concerned. All complaints are logged, and this is helpful in the event of the council needing to bring a case to court. Unruly tenants are served with a warning and the council will take repossession of their home where problems persist.
Cllr Carroll asked about council tenants keeping horses and dogs in their houses and on green areas. He was aware of an "appalling level of maltreatment" of animals in some cases and asked if there is any action the council could take from an animal welfare point of view. He also pointed out that barking dogs can contribute to antisocial behaviour.
Ms Ryan said the council does not have a specific policy in relation to animal welfare. Action can be taken where horses or caravans are blocking roads or endangering road users. Ownership of animals is set out in the tenancy agreement. A maximum of two dogs can be kept by council tenants and there are restrictions on breeds.