Vol. 457 No. 7
10 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment the direction, if any, his Department has given to local authorities regarding the criteria to be adopted in the allocation of housing which has been built by voluntary organisations in conjunction with his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15865/95]
Housing is provided by approved voluntary organisations under the capital assistance and rental subsidy schemes. The allocation of tenancies is a matter for the approved bodies, subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the appropriate schemes.
Under the capital assistance scheme, at least 75 per cent of the dwellings in a project must be let to persons approved for local authority housing, homeless persons, or local authority tenants or tenant purchasers surrendering their existing dwellings to the authority. Voluntary bodies are obliged to consult the local authorities who administer the schemes in relation to the granting of all tenancies. In the case of projects commenced from 1 May this year, one quarter of the tenancies in any development must be allocated to persons nominated by the local authority.
Under the rental subsidy scheme, subsidy is payable where the dwellings are let to persons approved for local authority housing whose household income did not exceed £9,000 in the previous tax year, or £11,000 in the case of not more than 25 per cent of houses in a particular project. The voluntary body is required to obtain the approval of the local authority to the granting of each tenancy in respect of which rental subsidy is sought.
