€655,000 allocated to bring vacant social homes back into use in Mayo

More than €655,000 has been allocated to help bring vacant social homes back into use across Mayo this year.

The funding of €655,120 has been confirmed under the 2026 Voids and Planned Maintenance Programme from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Welcoming the investment, Alan Dillon said the funding will support efforts to prepare empty local authority homes for re-letting and ensure existing housing stock is used more efficiently.

Mayo’s allocation represents a 34 per cent increase on last year’s funding of €490,754. The 2026 allocation includes €396,000 for the Voids Programme and €259,120 for planned maintenance works.

Minister Dillon said the scheme plays an important role in tackling vacancy while helping to increase the supply of social housing.

“The Voids Programme supports local authorities in making vacant homes ready for re-letting and works to tackle vacancy and dereliction to ensure vacant properties are re-used for housing,” he said.

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Nationally, €40 million has been allocated to local authorities in 2026 to prepare approximately 2,200 homes for re-letting — an increase of €9 million, or 29 per cent, on the previous year.

Minister Dillon said bringing vacant homes back into use is particularly important for communities across Mayo.

“Bringing vacant housing back into use across towns and villages in Mayo is essential to help ease pressure on the existing housing stock,” he said. “It will boost supply and deliver much-needed social homes, while rejuvenating our towns.”

He added that empty properties can have a negative impact on communities and said it was positive to see them being returned to use.

“No one wants to see empty buildings in their towns or villages that could be used as homes, so it’s fantastic to see these buildings being brought back into use here in Mayo,” he said.

The minister also acknowledged the work of Mayo County Council in preparing homes for new tenants and said new targets for vacancy turnaround times should ensure properties spend less time empty and more time providing housing for those who need it.