Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 July 2022
65. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will instate a ban on evictions; if not, if he will introduce support for those being evicted into homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36444/22]
View answerHaving regard to the manifest and grave risk to human life and public health posed by the spread of Covid-19 and in order to mitigate, where practicable, the effect of the spread of that disease, the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided for a temporary moratorium on tenancy terminations, other than in exceptional and limited cases during the emergency period from 27 March 2020 to 1 August 2020.
I have no plans to introduce a ban on evictions, as to do so would constitute an unjust interference in landlords constitutional property rights and could discourage landlords from staying in the rental market.
The number of people accessing emergency accommodation throughout the country is of serious concern. The Government, local authorities and others are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Key to this is the delivery of new social housing and boosting overall housing supply.
The Government is investing significantly in social and affordable housing, with record funding allocated for current and capital investment in housing this year and for the duration of Housing for All until 2030. This year, funding is in place to deliver 11,800 social homes including 9,000 new build homes; this builds on 2021 delivery of 9,183 new social homes (which was a 17% increase on 2020 delivery).
More specifically, I have established the National Homeless Action Committee with initial key priorities being the advancement of additional measures to prevent Homelessness and of the Youth Homelessness Strategy.
I am working with Government colleagues and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to provide for an increase in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) discretion rate to 35% and to expand the couple’s rate to single persons for new tenancies. This will secure more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness. Local authorities are prioritising tenancy support services, homelessness prevention and promoting the use of the Placefinder service for HAP tenancies.
My Department has undertaken a review of Housing Delivery Action Plans, which were submitted by local authorities. These Plans include specific provision for one-bed units which are critical for exits from homelessness for single persons, and for the delivery of 4-bed units which are key in supporting exits from homelessness for larger families.
There will be a new Voids programme for 2022, with an emphasis on quick turnaround and re-letting of vacant social housing stock. In addition, in line with the commitment in Housing for All to support local authorities to drive take up of the enhanced Repair and Leasing scheme, the Government has recently approved a pilot expansion which will open the scheme to a wider range of owners, by removing the criterion that a property owner must be unable to fund or access funding to bring former vacant commercial and institutional buildings back into use under the Repair and Leasing scheme. These measures will increase supply of homes to those on social housing waiting lists, including those in emergency accommodation.
Recently, I also reinstated the delegated sanction to local authorities in respect of social housing acquisitions that meet certain criteria. This will allow local authorities more flexibility to secure acquisitions which support households to exit from or avoid homelessness.
My Department has approved the re-introduction of the Place Finder fee incentive by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE). This will be payable where suitable properties are made exclusively available to homeless families through the DRHE Place Finders team and not advertised on letting websites or elsewhere.
The Government is providing more social homes, more homes are being completed in general and there is a strong pipeline of homes with building works commenced. This supply activity, as well as targeted measures specifically centred on homelessness, will allow us to meet the challenge of eradicating homelessness.
