Vol. 483 No. 6
302 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the possibility of developing, along with the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, new housing options for people who are long-term on supplementary welfare rent supplement for whom other forms of public housing subsidy could help them obtain permanent housing options for themselves far preferable to paying dead money in rent to private landlords. [21225/97]
Rent supplementation under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is an appropriate and cost effective response to the housing needs of certain households and is, in fact, the social housing option of choice for some households. Persons in receipt of rent supplementation are, however, also eligible for a range of other social housing options including local authority housing, shared ownership, etc.
The range of social housing options is now more extensive and, indeed, diverse than ever before. Nevertheless, the possibility of developing further appropriate and cost effective social housing options is kept under continuing review in my Department in consultation with other Government Departments, as appropriate.
