WITH the price of a three-bedroom, semi-detached house in Letterkenny averaging ¤200,000, many young people are finding it hard to get a foot on the property ladder.

In order to address this the 'Affordable Housing Scheme' has been put in place by the Government in conjunction with Donegal County Council. While the scheme has been in existence for some time, Councillor Jimmy Harte said it needed increased publicity and he called for the Council to bring banks and mortgage lenders on board.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Cllr Harte explained: "The idea behind affordable houses is to accommodate those who are earning too much to qualify for social housing, yet are not earning enough to qualify for a mortgage. It is designed to get people onto the property ladder."

Arrangements are currently being made by Donegal County Council for the procurement of a number of houses to be offered under the Affordable Housing Scheme.

Mr Patsy Lafferty, Area Manager of Housing, explained that the three-bedroom, semi-detached houses will be initially offered for sale in the region of ¤130,000 to ¤140,000.

"There are currently four estates with two houses in each to be included in the affordable housing scheme. There are also other houses in estates which are currently under negotiation."

Cllr Harte continued: "I feel that this scheme has not been promoted enough, and my suggestion is now to have an information session for those interested and invite banks and mortgage lenders to come along also. These are the people at the coal-face of dealing with loan applicants and would be best placed to advise people who do not qualify for a mortgage that there are other alternatives available through the Affordable Homes Scheme."

"There is a certain stigma attached to receiving loans from the Council but the reality of this scheme is that the Council and Government are simply facilitating those who might otherwise not be able to afford a home of their own."

"Nowadays you have to be earning a lot of money in order to obtain a mortgage. The Affordable homes scheme is a fantastic one which enables people to make a better investment of their money rather than simply paying rent."

Advertisements will be placed in local newspapers shortly inviting interested first-time buyers to make an application to the housing office in the Letterkenny Public Services Centre. A waiting list will then be drawn up from which allocations will be made as houses become available on an ongoing basis.