The latest summary of social housing assessments, which was carried out on 7 May 2013, showed that there were 89,872 households on local authority waiting lists at that date. The 2013 figures are the most up-to-date figures available on waiting list numbers, which are subject to on-going fluctuation as households are allocated housing and new households are added to the lists. The full 2013 results are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C34857%2Cen.pdf.
In order to ensure that the most up to date and comprehensive data are available, on an ongoing basis, relating to the numbers applying for social housing support, the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, includes a number of actions to standardise assessment and increase the regularity of assessments including undertaking the summary of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016 onwards.
Ultimately, a shortage of supply is at the heart of the challenges in the broader housing and residential sector. Where the estimated requirement is for 25,000 new units per annum the construction sector is currently delivering around half that. The supply issue is putting upward pressure on rents which in turn can push vulnerable households into emergency accommodation.
A number of important measures have been taken to improve housing viability and increase supply, through the actions set out in Construction 2020 and the Social Housing Strategy 2020. Laying the Foundations: Housing Actions Report, which was published on 14 April 2016, provides information on thirty-one major actions taken across the housing spectrum since mid-2014 to increase the supply of all forms of housing. The report is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/activity/laying-foundations-housing-action-report.
One of the key actions involved introducing measures to protect tenants’ rights and the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, enacted on 4 December 2015, introduced a number of measures to address rent stability and significantly strengthen the rights of tenants.
Furthermore, the Department of Social Protection’s Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol currently operates in Cork and Dublin in conjunction with a local authority funded tenancy protection service, provided through the non-governmental organisation Threshold. Under these arrangements, Threshold provides advice and advocacy for tenants who are at risk of losing their homes. When necessary, Threshold may refer the case directly to the Department of Social Protection and that Department may apply a discretionary uplift to Rent Supplement rates, thereby securing the continuation of the tenancy.
While the protocol arrangements are currently only operational in Cork and Dublin, the Department of Social Protection continues to exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis for Rent Supplement clients nationwide under its National Tenancy Sustainment Framework. Under both Tenancy Sustainment arrangements, uplifts have been granted at the discretion of the Department of Social Protection’s Welfare Officers to approximately 7,500 clients nationwide, with approximately 5,000 of these in the Dublin Region. Operational issues in this regard are a matter for the Department of Social Protection.
With regard to the supply of social housing in particular, the Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes targets and actions to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units. The report, Social Housing Output in 2015, which I published on 26 January 2016, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:http://www.environ.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/social_housing_output_in_20150.pdf.
While I am satisfied that a solid foundation has been laid to ensure that the challenges in housing can be overcome, it will take an ongoing and increased commitment from all stakeholders to deal with the issues comprehensively.
