Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 September 2014
252. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide costings on the creation of a tenant purchase scheme for homes in the voluntary housing association sector. [36331/14]
View answerApproved housing bodies (AHBs) are organisations approved under section 6 of the Housing (scellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to provide social housing support in conjunction with local authorities. These organisations include voluntary housing associations.
Since the late 1980s, close to 25,000 units of accommodation have been provided under capital funding schemes underpinned by mortgages. More recently, a scheme was introduced that provides an up-front capital payment of up to 30% of the property value to facilitate AHBs in raising private finance to acquire or build new social housing units. The capital advanced is repayable at the end of a payment and availability agreement, usually after 30 years.
Under the terms of these various funding schemes, AHBs are the de facto owners of these properties and are required to make them available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the availability agreement. My Department cannot unilaterally make provision for their sale to tenants. Any such decision would have to involve the AHB concerned and have regard to the mortgage on the property. On expiry of the mortgage period and subject to compliance with the terms of the funding agreement, the AHB becomes the owner of the property.
Section 45 of the Housing (scellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 does provide for the sale by housing authorities and AHBs of designated new houses to eligible households, subject to specified terms and conditions. However, any such sales would have to be done in consultation with AHBs. There are currently no proposals or plans for a tenant purchase scheme in relation to AHB houses and therefore no costings have been developed.
