Residents facing eviction from a retirement village in Enniscrone, Co Sligo say they are stressed, sickened and upset as they can’t find alternative accommodation.
Nine residents in six properties in the Sonas Retirement Village in the west Sligo seaside village were given notice in November to leave their rental properties by 5 June.
Elizabeth and Frank Stewart moved into a rental property in the retirement village seven years ago. Elizabeth told RTÉ News they learned of the property while visiting her brother in the nearby nursing home.
“We saw the sign up to rent or buy; so, we decided to rent at our age, instead of buying the house and that’s what we did.”
Elizabeth’s husband Frank has dementia. He fell and broke his hip last year, spending five months in hospital, before returning home in late October.
“When we got the eviction notice – everything had been put in place for Frank because he can’t walk and he had to have a hospital bed.
“I’d been looking after him for three years on my own, but now he has people coming in three times a day to help.
“There’s nowhere else we can go. That was our Christmas present – an eviction order.
“I’ve asked the person whose name is on the eviction what happens in May and he doesn’t know,” she said.
David Stewart, who moved to the development to help care for his parents, Elizabeth and Frank, described the situation as “stressful, sickening and very upsetting”.
“My partner had a relapse. She has Multiple Sclerosis. She was in hospital for a week because of all the stress from trying to find somewhere for my parents and us.”
‘No alternative accommodation’
A 57-bed nursing home and 27 independent living units in the retirement village are under separate ownership.
Last year, Sonas Nursing Home was acquired by Ethos Care. In a statement, the nursing home said the Independent Living Units (ILUs) were not part of that acquisition.
They said Sonas Nursing Home Group has no affiliation to Nasso BK Holdings Ltd, who own the properties in question.
RTÉ News has attempted to seek a statement from Nasso BK Holdings but has not received a response at this time.
In a statement, Sligo County Council said there has been no engagement between the property owner/landlord and the council with regard to the issuing of the eviction notices.
They added: “In response to calls for Sligo County Council to purchase the homes in question, the council is limited by national funding criteria and can only acquire properties under specific conditions.”
They said: “Affected tenants are advised to contact the Residential Tenancies Board who are actively involved in advising tenants on their rights.”
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West Sligo Independent Cllr Joe Queenan said nine residents in six properties received a six-month notice of termination last November.
He said most are not on the council housing list and added that current funding arrangements will not allow the council to purchase the properties in question.
“Since then, [November], we have tried to get alternative accommodations, but there is no alternative accommodation in the county.”
Cllr Queenan said some residents have medical conditions and physical disabilities and he has called for flexibility from the landowner and from Government.
He is calling on the Department of Housing to allow the council to draw down funding that would allow them to purchase the home.
“This can’t be started out in the next four months; so, I’m looking for the Government to interpret the rules so the houses can be purchased from the landlord, and I’m asking the landlord to extend the contract for a number of years so this can be sorted out.”
He added: “I would ask the landlord to reflect on this. We have a very good working relationship with the landlord in this town maybe review the present situation and hopefully extend the contract for a number of years so we can get this sorted out.”
In a statement, the Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Rory Hearne said it is “unconscionable that sick, elderly and disabled people in a retirement village in Sligo have been issued eviction notices”.
Deputy Hearne said the notices to quit followed the announcement of the Government’s rental changes which came into force on 1 March, allowing landlords to reset rents to market rate between tenancies.