Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) play an important role in the delivery of social homes across the country. Over the period 2011 to 2018 more than 11,000 new social homes have been delivered by AHBs and last year 38% of all the social homes delivered by the Rebuilding Ireland were delivered in partnership with AHBs.
Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households. The allocation scheme for South Dublin County Council includes provision for application for a transfer under a range of circumstances including on grounds of anti social behavior and other exceptional circumstances. This provision applies to tenants of the council including tenants of dwellings provided by Approved Housing Bodies.
The oversight and management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations.
Section 22(17) of the 2009 Act provides that the Minister’s power to direct a local authority regarding the operation of its allocation scheme shall not be construed or operate to enable the Minister to direct the allocation of a dwelling to a particular household. I am, therefore, precluded from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by local authorities in the allocation of particular dwellings.
