The table sets out data provided by housing authorities to my Department concerning the numbers of dwelling repossessions under section 62 of the Housing Act from 2010 to 2012, broken down by ground for repossession. My Department is currently collating corresponding data for 2013. Information is not collected on the characteristics of households whose dwellings were repossessed or on the number of households who voluntarily surrendered their properties in the context of a repossession process.
Housing authorities may, under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, incur expenditure on the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons. In the longer term, a household whose accommodation was repossessed by the housing authority because of a serious breach of the tenancy agreement may, if its circumstances permit, secure and fund its own accommodation in the private sector. Alternatively, the household may qualify for rent supplement from the Department of Social Protection in certain circumstances. The household may also apply to a housing authority for social housing support but cognisance must be taken of section 20(8) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which provides that a housing authority carrying out a social housing assessment may disregard the accommodation currently occupied by a household where the authority believes that the household deliberately, or without good and sufficient reason, did or failed to do anything (other than an action or omission in good faith), in consequence of which the household’s current accommodation is less suitable for its adequate housing than other accommodation which it would have been reasonable for the household to occupy.
No. of repossessions carried out on foot of section 62 Warrants
|
Year
|
Reason
|
Number in total
|
|
2010
|
Anti-Social Behaviour
|
14
|
|
-
|
Rent Arrears
|
28
|
|
-
|
Refusal to transfer Tenancy
|
2
|
|
-
|
Squatters
|
0
|
|
-
|
Other
|
0
|
|
-
|
Total
|
44
|
|
2011
|
Anti-Social Behaviour
|
15
|
|
-
|
Rent Arrears
|
45
|
|
-
|
Refusal to transfer Tenancy
|
4
|
|
-
|
Squatters
|
0
|
|
-
|
Other
|
6
|
|
-
|
Total
|
70
|
|
2012
|
Anti-Social Behaviour
|
6
|
|
-
|
Rent Arrears
|
35
|
|
-
|
Refusal to transfer Tenancy
|
0
|
|
-
|
Squatters
|
6
|
|
-
|
Other
|
36
|
|
-
|
Total
|
83
|
