Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2017
9. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether the reduction in numbers on the housing list in Cork following the recent social housing needs assessment reflects the provision of permanent secure council housing to large numbers of households on the list; if not, the other factors that account for the reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9036/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2016 Summary of Social Housing Assessments recorded 91,600 households as being qualified for social housing support as at 21 September 2016, an increase of 1,728 households or 1.9% over the 89,872 total recorded by the previous summary in 2013. Within this overall figure, both Cork housing authorities recorded a significant decrease in their figures, with a reduction of 2,000 in the City Council and a reduction of 563 in the County Council area . The decreases in the Cork figures cannot be attributed to any one factor. The reduction of 2,000 households on the Cork City council list was due to the interaction of a number of factors. A significant factor would have been the work by the City Council to bring vacant council properties back into use and on the acquisition of new social housing units. Across all the build, voids and regeneration and acquisition programmes, over 730 social housing units were delivered by the City Council over 2015/16. In addition, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) was introduced in the City Council area in June 2015. Furthermore, Choice-Based Letting was introduced in the city in 2015 and, as part of the roll-out of this programme, households on the housing list were asked to confirm whether or not they were still seeking housing support.
Similarly, no one single factor can fully explain the reduction of 563 households in the figures for the County area. However, given that HAP was introduced in the County Council area in September 2014, it has made a significant contribution to meeting the housing needs of applicants. In addition, a total of 296 vacant social housing units were brought back into use by Cork County Council during the 2015-16 period, with 112 other properties being delivered for social housing use over the same timeframe.
As part of the process, households which were found to no longer qualify for social housing support were removed from housing lists. For example, a large number of households in Cork and elsewhere have had their housing need met through the provision of a housing support such as RAS or HAP. Another smaller number (approximately 5-7%) were found to have incomes that exceeded the eligibility thresholds. Where a number of attempts had been made to contact a household (comprising at least two letters and other measures at the discretion of the authority) without success, then the household’s application could be closed by the housing authority. However, as has been the practice on previous occasions, where a household subsequently contacts the authority with the required information within a reasonable timeframe, then the application may be re-activated without affecting the original date of qualification.
