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Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Questions (452)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

452. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of persons currently on local authority housing lists throughout the country; the average length of waiting time on such lists; his future plans to ensure the provision of local authority housing as quick as possible to suitable applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46527/12]

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Written answers

My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists. This figure continuously fluctuates as households are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. Detailed information on the latest statutory assessment of housing need, carried out in March 2011 and including a breakdown by housing authority, is available on my Department’s website – www.environ.ie or on the Housing Agency’s website at www.housing.ie. My Department intends to carry a full Housing Needs Assessment in 2013, and will publish the results as soon as possible thereafter.

I am currently overseeing a programme of social housing reform and as part of this, it is my intention to review the operation of allocations policy with the broad objective of putting a greater emphasis on ‘time on the list’ as a criterion for allocating local authority housing. In terms of the delivery of social housing, the Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support.

Delivery of social housing will be significantly facilitated through more flexible funding models such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme and leasing, but the Government is also committed to developing other funding mechanisms that will increase the supply of permanent new social housing. Such mechanisms will include options to purchase, build to lease and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. There is also obvious potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government’s objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

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