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Local Authority Housing

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 July 2016

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

Questions (200, 201)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which his Department continues to be made aware of new applicants for local authority housing arising from repossessions or notice to quit from landlords; the extent to which this is being monitored by the various local authorities with a view to taking steps to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23103/16]

View answer

Bernard Durkan

Question:

201. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of persons currently on the various local authority housing lists throughout the country; the extent to which rent increases are making it impossible for such families to exist or remain in their homes; if urgent provision can be made to meet their requirements, thus preventing a rapid escalation in homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23104/16]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together.

The assessment of applications for social housing support is the responsibility of the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations. The prescribed application form for such support requires applicants to provide certain information on their current and previous accommodation, including whether they received a notice to quit or an eviction notice in respect of their current accommodation and the reasons for leaving previous accommodation. My Department does not collate day-to-day information on the number of applications made to each local authority nor the specific contents thereof.

Statutory Summaries of Social Housing Assessments are carried out at regular intervals and they provide information on the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists. Only those households which have been assessed as being eligible and in need of such support following the carrying out of the prescribed application process by the relevant housing authority are placed on the list. The most recent summary, carried out as at 7 May 2013, provided details on the number of households categorised as having a housing need due to an unsustainable mortgage. Details of the 2013 Housing Needs Assessment are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.ie/News/Current-News/18-12-13-Summary-of-Social-Housing-Assessments-201.pdf.

The 2016 Summary of Housing Assessments is now underway, and future summaries of social housing assessments will be carried out on an annual basis, providing up-to-date and comprehensive data on the numbers of households qualified for social housing support on an on-going basis, including the level of households which have a housing need arising from unsustainable mortgages.

The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, enacted on 4 December 2015, introduced a number of measures to address rent stability. The Act provides, inter alia, that the minimum period between rent reviews for tenancies is increased from 12 to 24 months and this new provision will apply for a 4 year period. In addition, the Act increased the minimum period of notice of new rent from 28 days to 90 days. Each of these new provisions commenced on enactment. Further provisions to support rent stability in the 2015 Act include that a notice of new rent must be in the prescribed form, include details of dispute resolution procedures available through the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and be accompanied by details of the rent sought in respect of 3 comparable dwellings in the area.

Ultimately, the key to addressing rising rents and preventing homelessness is through increasing the supply of homes. In publishing Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness on 19 July 2016, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions that aim to increase annual housing supply to 25,000 units per annum by 2020, thereby creating a functioning and sustainable housing system. The plan is available at the website www.rebuildingireland.ie.

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