Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2023
318. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities are in a position to assist with the tenant in-situ schemes or other relevant schemes that will provide assistance where a social housing applicant is resident in a neighbouring local authority, and where that social housing applicant has received a termination notice (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19102/23]
View answer331. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of acquisitions targeted for delivery by Cork City Council in each of the years 2022-2026, in tabular form. [19305/23]
View answer337. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will issue a circular to local authorities setting out the guidelines for the tenant in situ, for common situations where a tenant receives their HAP payment from one local authority, but it is a different local authority that wishes to purchase the property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19402/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 318, 331 and 337 together.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
For 2023, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department will fund local authorities to acquire up to 1,500 social homes. The additional acquisitions will be focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property.
My Department issued a circular letter to all local authorities in March, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional allocation for social housing acquisitions in 2023. Cork City Council have an allocation to acquire 80 social homes in 2023, and this allocation will be kept under review. It will be matter for individual local authorities to determine whether a property is suitable for acquisition. No allocations have been issued for the period 2024-2026.
Where a household is on the housing list in one local authority but has secured a HAP tenancy in another local authority area, the arrangements in place will support the acquisition of the property, where appropriate. The City and County Management Association (CCMA) has assured me that local authorities are collaborating on such situations and my Department will work closely with local authorities on this measure.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
