Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2023
258. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant in situ scheme acquisitions in Fingal that have been impacted by the withdrawal of an organisation (details supplied) due to capacity issues; the timeline to expedite these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43511/23]
View answerUnder 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 at least 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 target for social housing acquisitions in 2023 and these allocations are being kept under review.
It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy. It is a matter for a local authority to determine whether a property should be acquired. The cost of the property, its condition and its suitability for the existing tenants are issues that will be considered by the local authority. I have asked local authorities to be proactive in this area.
Local authorities will work with all social housing supported tenants who receive a Notice of Termination and where it is not possible to purchase the property, the local authority will seek alternative supports, which will include support to obtain an alternative tenancy, including a HAP-supported tenancy or an allocation to local authority stock where possible.
Fingal County Council have informed my Department that the organisation mentioned have completed a small number of Tenant in Situ acquisitions in 2023 and their capacity issues are not impacting any Tenant in Situ acquisitions in the pipeline.
