Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
108. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason local authorities are not permitted to purchase homes for tenants by social housing support recipients that are put up for sale but are permitted to enter into long-term lease arrangements for these same properties after the social housing support recipient has been evicted on grounds of a vacant possession notice to quit. [46407/21]
View answerIn 2021, there is a provision for 800 social housing acquisitions by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies. This provision is targeted towards securing specific types of units, including properties for homeless households, one-bedroom properties, housing for individuals with a disability and for households with other priority needs. It is a matter for individual local authorities to allocate social housing homes in accordance with their Scheme of Letting Priorities.
The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade, including an average of 10,000 new build social homes. Under Housing for All, the focus is on increasing social housing through new build, with a reduced reliance on leasing and the acquisition of homes. Long-term leasing will be ended under Housing for All and there will be no new homes delivered through long-term leasing after 2025. There will also be a limited number of social homes delivered through acquisitions, with current projections limiting acquisitions to 200 new social homes per annum.
