Thomas Gould
Question:714. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the further solutions he is proposing to address the issue of voids on local authorities such as Cork City Council. [18947/21]
View answerWednesday, 21 April 2021
Questions (714, 715)
Thomas Gould
Question:715. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to increase the funding directed towards local authorities to address voids under the new programme; and the breakdown as to the targets and limits for this funding for local authorities. [18953/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 714 and 715 together.
The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authority's to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
In relation to Cork City Council, the local authority has received some €23 million of funding from 2014 to 2020, supporting 1,320 homes being returned to use.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work remediating vacant social housing properties in 2021. In preparation for this year’s programme correspondence issued to all local authorities requesting data on the total number of vacant units within their social housing stock as at January 2021. This process will help inform funding requirements and allocations for this year’s programme. A further communication in respect of the 2021 voids programme will issue to all local authorities shortly.
It is important to note that my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach for housing stock management and maintenance to a more planned maintenance approach. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes are aligned with this approach.