Fresh rethink needed for Fresh Start Scheme says Mayo councillor

A WESTPORT councillor has called for a rethink of a housing scheme directed at separated and divorced people because he believes it is almost impossible to qualify for.

Independent councillor Christy Hyland claimed that there has been no successful applications for the Fresh Start local authority home loan scheme in the Westport Electoral Area and this is causing untold stress and worry for families.

The Fresh Start scheme is designed for people who are divorced/separated and who find themselves out of what was previously the family home. However, Cllr Hyland claimed that the criteria for qualifying does not take into account the realities of life for separated people.

“When a marriage or partnership breaks down there can be huge financial implications involved in the breakup. In these situations, the couple normally ensure that where children are involved that the family home is kept together. There is a mortgage in existence in most cases for that family home and the partner leaving finds themselves in a situation where they are unable to come up with a lump sum to free themselves from the mortgage that is in existence.

“The reason for this [unsuccessful applications] is that the applicant must have no financial interest in the previous family home as set out in the regulations for the Fresh Start Scheme. This fact of having no financial interest in the previous family home is proving too difficult a challenge for the partner who finds himself/herself out of what was the family home.

“It is at this point that the Fresh Start Scheme is failing to deliver what it is set out for and the fact that there have been no successful applicants in my electoral area proves this point,” he said.

Cllr Hyland said that there have been a number of situations where the partner who moves out of the family home can only secure a one room apartment to live in and this is not suitable for children to stay over in.

He said the Government needs to rethink how people can qualify for the Fresh Start Scheme and to take each case on its merits.

“I have had numerous requests from people who cannot avail of the Fresh Start Scheme due to the financial situation that they find themselves in. In the old scheme, each case would go through an interview and application process where the applicant would outline all of the facts of their case. At that stage, the applicant would be placed on the social housing list and would have some hope of getting their life together into the future and would prove a better situation for all involved."

A WESTPORT councillor has called for a rethink of a housing scheme directed at separated and divorced people because he believes it is almost impossible to qualify for.

Independent councillor Christy Hyland claimed that there has been no successful applications for the Fresh Start local authority home loan scheme in the Westport Electoral Area and this is causing untold stress and worry for families.

The Fresh Start scheme is designed for people who are divorced/separated and who find themselves out of what was previously the family home. However, Cllr Hyland claimed that the criteria for qualifying does not take into account the realities of life for separated people.

“When a marriage or partnership breaks down there can be huge financial implications involved in the breakup. In these situations, the couple normally ensure that where children are involved that the family home is kept together. There is a mortgage in existence in most cases for that family home and the partner leaving finds themselves in a situation where they are unable to come up with a lump sum to free themselves from the mortgage that is in existence.

“The reason for this [unsuccessful applications] is that the applicant must have no financial interest in the previous family home as set out in the regulations for the Fresh Start Scheme. This fact of having no financial interest in the previous family home is proving too difficult a challenge for the partner who finds himself/herself out of what was the family home.

“It is at this point that the Fresh Start Scheme is failing to deliver what it is set out for and the fact that there have been no successful applicants in my electoral area proves this point,” he said.

Cllr Hyland said that there have been a number of situations where the partner who moves out of the family home can only secure a one room apartment to live in and this is not suitable for children to stay over in.

He said the Government needs to rethink how people can qualify for the Fresh Start Scheme and to take each case on its merits.

“I have had numerous requests from people who cannot avail of the Fresh Start Scheme due to the financial situation that they find themselves in. In the old scheme, each case would go through an interview and application process where the applicant would outline all of the facts of their case. At that stage, the applicant would be placed on the social housing list and would have some hope of getting their life together into the future and would prove a better situation for all involved," he said.

Cllr Hyland has been critical of the criteria people need to meet to get on the housing list and believes that every case should be heard on its merits.

“The overall social housing situation needs to go back to the old system where there were no income bands involved as the current system is proving to be a disincentive for people who are in full time employment,” he said.