I propose to take Questions Nos. 361 to 369, inclusive, together.
There are currently over 18,000 households being supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme in 28 local authority areas. A breakdown of the number of households supported by HAP, including the number of Rent Supplement Transfer, in each local authority area at 31 December 2016 is available on my Department’s website at the following link
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
A breakdown of households supported by HAP within each local authority area at end of Q1 2017 will be published on my Department’s website shortly after the end of the quarter.
The HAP has been rolled out to local authorities on a statutory phased basis since September 2014. As HAP is rolled out nationally, it replaces Rent Supplement for households with a long-term housing need. My Department and the local authorities work together to help get the operation of the scheme embedded within the local authority area in a phased and organised manner.
In the early stages of HAP being made available in a given local authority area, the assessment and support of households presenting without any housing support are prioritised. Local authorities are advised to ensure that this process is working efficiently and that the scheme is being operated well before beginning the process of Rent Supplement Transfers. However, Rent Supplement recipients can approach their local authority to enquire about the scheme and to commence the assessment process for social housing support. The scheme will be made available to all households in the administrative areas of Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal County Councils with effect from 1 March 2017.
Following the commencement of the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, HAP is considered to be a social housing support and consequently households are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that households on the waiting list who avail of HAP might have expectations that they would receive a more permanent form of social housing support, Ministerial directions have issued to ensure that, should they so choose, HAP recipients can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support through a transfer list.
The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their scheme of letting priorities. The setting of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and as such is a matter for the elected members. My Department does not gather or hold any information on households seeking a transfer to an alternative social housing support whether they are currently having their housing needs met through HAP, RAS and or any other form of social housing support.
I understand that the majority of HAP households do avail of the option to be placed on a transfer list. Some 1,450 households have exited the HAP scheme since its statutory commencement in September 2014, including 240 households (at the end of December 2016) that have transferred from the HAP scheme to other forms of social housing support.
A local authority must be satisfied on inspection that any privately rented dwelling, including those supported under HAP, complies with the statutory standards for rented accommodation prescribed under section 18 of the Act of 1992. The regulations that provide for these standards specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and safety of gas and electrical supply. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of funding provided from part of the proceeds of tenancy registration fees collected by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). Under section 41 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 local authorities are required to commence this inspection process within 8 months of HAP being paid in relation to a particular dwelling if not already inspected within the previous 12 months.
While in the context of policy development, my Department does consider reports of additional rental payments made by tenants supported by HAP, the number of additional payments being made by tenants is not fully known. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis. At 14 February 2017, 8.5% of the total number of households (excluding qualified homeless households) being supported by HAP had some additional flexibility applied to the monthly HAP being made to their landlord on their behalf.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. I am satisfied with how the HAP scheme is operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme under Rebuilding Ireland.
