Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
727. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applications for the social housing tenant-in-situ scheme to date in 2023; the number of applications rejected; the number being processed; the number sale agreed; and the number where sales have concluded, in tabular form. [56291/23]
View answer738. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many landlords have applied to Fingal County Council for the tenant-in-situ scheme since the scheme commenced; how many have subsequently withdrawn their applications; the reasons given for the withdrawals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56474/23]
View answer768. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of any properties in the north Fingal area that have been bought in the past six months by approved housing bodies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56964/23]
View answer771. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many properties have been purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme for the purposes of social housing since January 2022, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57077/23]
View answer772. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total cost of all the properties that have been purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme for the purposes of social housing since January 2022, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57078/23]
View answer815. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 48 of 6 July 2023, whether the statistical data referred to in relation to the tenant-in-situ scheme has been published yet; if not, when it will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1340/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 727, 738, 768, 771, 772 and 815 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).
Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery programmes across the build acquisition and lease delivery streams.
For 2023, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department provided funding local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes. The additional acquisitions have focused on properties where a tenant is in receipt of social housing supports and has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. My Department issued a circular letter in March 2023, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional allocation for social housing acquisitions in 2023.
Local authorities have delegated sanction in relation to these acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by the Department. An independent valuation must also be obtained for each acquisition, in line with established practice for local authorities for social housing acquisitions.
The current Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) were updated and issued to local authorities in April 2023. These guidelines are reviewed and updated as appropriate by my Department usually on an annual basis.
The ACGs provide cost guidelines for the acquisition by housing authorities, of second-hand properties for the provision of social housing. These guidelines reference lower and upper cost ranges, along with an average/benchmark cost, which is representative of the average range of current (at the time of issue) prices across the local authority area. It is matter for each local authority to decide on appropriate acquisitions having regard to the arrangements for the scheme.
Local authorities will work with all social housing supported tenants who receive a Notice of Termination and offer the available supports, which may include a tenant in situ acquisition or support to obtain an alternative tenancy, including a HAP-supported tenancy or an allocation to local authority stock. It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy. My Department does not hold data on the number of social housing acquisitions applications that have been withdrawn or rejected. Further information may be available from individual local authorities.
The Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) funding is capital support provided to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) by local authorities to facilitate the funding of acquisition of social housing units.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority, including completed acquisitions. From 2023, this data includes a breakdown of acquisitions completed by each local authority where a Notice of Termination issued to a tenant and is available, for all local authorities, to the end of Quarter 3 2023 on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
