Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
530. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the high levels of vacancy in local authority social housing units; his plans to ensure that social housing is allocated efficiently and in a timely manner to those on the social housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40338/23]
View answerThe 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.
Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding is increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. This programme is in addition to the funding provided through the local authorities own resources.
Choice-Based Letting (CBL) is a method that can be used by local authorities to allocate social housing, whereby available social housing stock is let by being openly advertised, allowing qualified applicants to ‘bid’ for or ‘register an interest’ in available homes. Applicants have to act on their own initiative to respond to adverts and bid for dwellings that they would like to live in, rather than waiting for an Authority to offer them a dwelling. This approach offers more choice, transparency and involvement for applicant households in selecting a new home, thereby reducing the likelihood of a refusal, improving re-let times and helping to build sustainable tenancies and stable communities.
Given the benefits offered by CBL, the Department will continue to liaise with the local authorities to support as wide a roll-out of CBL as possible across the country and to explore the feasibility of a national online CBL system.
