Waterford mother in weeks-long social housing limbo
The issue was raised at the Metro meeting in City Hall (pictured before renovations).
A Waterford mother of a child with additional has been left in weeks-long limbo over her housing situation.
Councillor Joeanne Bailey (Sinn Féin) spoke at the recent metro meeting about the difficult a mother is facing in trying to secure social housing on medical grounds on behalf of her child.
According to Cllr Bailey: "The HMD form for anyone who is applying for social housing or a social housing transfer due to a disability or medical grounds. This form then must be checked and signed off by a medical officer."
She asked: "Is it true that the medical officer is out on sick leave at the moment and that there is a backlog of forms to be signed off leaving many applicants waiting to be allocated their medical priority? If not true, how long after submitting the HMD form should applicants expect a reply?"
Cllr Bailey spoke about one local woman's difficulty in finding answers on her own HMD application. She said: "One constituent in contact with me, who was very upset finding out her child will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, submitted the HMD form. [She] rang to see if awarded medical priority to be told they will be waiting as the medical office has been out for a few weeks and they will het to her form 'eventually'.
"What is the plan for moving applications along?"
Senior Executive Officer Housing Donal Ó Murchadha noted the absence of the medical officer but that stated that he is 'negotiating his return' and that the Department are dealing with the inquiries in his absence.
