Written Answers Nos. 318-330
318. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.13 to introduce an AHB innovation fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35063/16]
View answerA number of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have begun work on developing innovative financial models to fund their delivery of social housing. It is hoped that these efforts could potentially present the opportunity for delivery on a significant scale, while also meeting off-balance sheet requirements and achieving lower cost long term fixed price funding for AHBs.
To encourage and support further activity in this area, my Department established an Innovation Fund in April 2016 to support AHBs in their development of innovative financial models that would assist in improving the capacity of the sector. €300,000 has been provided in 2016 as a fund for which Tier 3 AHBs can apply. It is anticipated that further funding will be made available in 2017.
Access to funding is on the basis of formal applications made to my Department. Details of the fund were circulated in April 2016 and a further reminder issued in July 2016 calling for applications to be submitted for consideration. The closing date for receipt of applications was 1 November 2016. My Department is currently examining the applications received in line with the criteria set down in the call for proposals.
320. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.15 to establish a regulator for the AHB sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35065/16]
View answerApproved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have a key role in the delivery of social housing, as recognised in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. In this context, regulation is important in order to underpin stability in the sector, to better protect tenants and to safeguard public and private investment in AHBs and the assets developed through that investment.
In 2014, my Department established an interim Regulation Committee (iRC) under the auspices of the Housing Agency and supported by a Regulation Office within the Agency. The committee was set up to oversee implementation of the voluntary regulation code for AHBs, published in July 2013, and to advise on statutory regulation. To date, 243 AHBs have signed up to the voluntary code.
Recently, the Regulation Office published their second Annual Report. The annual report provides an overview of those AHBs signed up to the Code, insight as to the size, scale, ambitions and risk appetite of the sector; establishes and shares good practice; and identifies some of the challenges for AHBs arising from the regulatory assessments. A copy of the report can be found at the following link: https://www.housingagency.ie/regulation/publications-and-useful-links.aspx.
Encouragingly, the number of AHBs that have now signed up to the Voluntary Code (243) represents 90% of all housing stock held by AHBs which means that some 26,900 AHB homes are now protected. Under the code, AHBs that have signed up to regulation are assessed in terms of their governance, financial viability and their performance in the provision of social housing.
While the code is voluntary at present, the development of a statutory regulatory framework has commenced with the General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015 approved for drafting by Government in September 2015. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the proposed Bill took place in December 2015. My Department is currently examining the recommendations of the Joint Committee as well as the stakeholder submissions on the General Scheme to ensure that the drafted legislation is reasonable, proportionate and appropriate to the differing needs of AHBs and serves to underpin a regulatory system that facilitates a growth of capacity and efficiency in the sector. It is expected that the legislation will be published in the first quarter of 2017.
321. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.16 to bring forward pilot projects for housing initiatives for older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35066/16]
View answerOlder persons have specific housing requirements such as being in proximity to their family and social networks and the need for access to public and other essential services, recreation and amenities. In recognition of this, Action 2.16 of the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, commits to a number of pilot projects being advanced, beginning with Dublin City Council, based on best practice and cost effectiveness, taking a cross departmental inter-agency approach to housing initiatives for older people.
Last month, my colleague, Minister Coveney, formally launched the Housing with Supports report, which was the work of an Interagency Housing Working Group, led by Age Friendly Ireland, and which included a representative from my Department. The purpose of the Inter-agency Housing Working Group was to explore the options to better accommodate older people within their community rather than in residential care.
A Steering Group has been established comprising representatives from the Department of Health, the HSE, Dublin City Council, the Irish Council for Social Housing and my Department to guide delivery of the project and to harness the potential for mainstreaming best practice.
I understand that Dublin City Council has identified a potential site which is located next to a HSE health centre, which includes a Primary Health Care Centre. This site will be used to implement the initial pilot project of 50-60 units suitable for older people. I am advised that a capital appraisal for this project is currently being prepared for early submission to my Department for funding approval.
322. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.17 to increase the target of the housing adaptation grant draw down to 10,000 homes in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35067/16]
View answerIn line with the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, it is my intention to provide funding to support 10,000 homes under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability in 2017. Allocations for next year under the grants scheme will be announced in due course.
323. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.18 to develop policy options for supported housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35068/16]
View answerMy Department is working with the Department of Health and other key stakeholders to develop a policy position that will facilitate the greater use in Ireland of the model of "housing with supports" for older people. This accommodation model provides each person with their own premises and privacy, while facilitating social contact with other older people and in some cases providing homecare on site, and possibly access to nursing care, a security presence, etc. I expect to publish a policy paper on this topic in 2017.
As part of a cross-sectoral approach to developing this housing model for older people, the Dublin City Housing Working Group - which includes representatives from my Department, Dublin City Council, the Department of Health, the HSE and relevant NGOs - has developed a pilot project. The project has been included as one of the demonstration projects in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing & Homelessness (under action number 2.16). It will comprise 50/60 self-contained units, for single people and couples, accommodating a mix of people with varying support needs. It will have a team of support staff based on-site, as well as providing outreach services for people within a defined catchment area.
324. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.19 to create pilot competitions focusing on smart technologies, adaptation of existing housing and lifetime communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35069/16]
View answerIn July 2016, the Government launched the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. Action 2.19 provided that we would create a pilot competition, focusing on three distinct areas, namely, smart technologies in housing for older people, adaptation of existing houses to meet the needs of older people and life-time communities.
My Department has established a Steering Group consisting of representatives from the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, the Construction Industry Federation, the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, Dublin City Council and Enterprise Ireland, to oversee the roll-out of the design challenge.
The Steering Group has already met twice in order to elaborate on the competition brief which aims to stimulate, and support collaboration among, the design, construction and technology sectors to be innovative in providing solutions for older people within our built environment. In this regard, the challenge will be inclusive of anyone with feasible and cost effective ideas which have potential for mainstreaming into the future.
To raise awareness of the competition and incentivise the professional, building and community sectors to make submissions, I announced, on 20 September 2016, that my Department is providing €100,000 prize money to support the Homes for Smart Ageing: Universal Design Challenge competition. The third meeting of the Steering Group will take place next week and it is intended that a call for proposals under the competition will be launched in December 2016.
329. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.24 to establish an operational sub-group to support and co-ordinate the process of housing refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35074/16]
View answerAn operational sub-group under the auspices of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme Taskforce composed of all relevant Departments of State and other bodies, such as representatives of local authorities and the Irish Red Cross, is currently being established to support the process of housing these refugees. This sub-group will be co-chaired by the Department of Justice and Equality and my own Department.
Arrangements are being advanced at local authority level to support the housing of these refugees, including through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP), and a range of other supports will be made available at local level to support the integration of individuals into their new communities.
