Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2021
187. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the cut-off point in terms of household income for eligibility for the new cost-rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47312/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 19 August 2021, I made the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Cost Rental Designation) Regulations 2021, which came into effect that day. These Regulations govern the process by which the owners of dwellings may obtain the designation of their properties as Cost Rental dwellings.
The first Cost Rental homes were delivered by the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Clúid at Taylor Hill, Balbriggan, in August 2021, utilising funding from the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme. The eligibility criteria for prospective tenants was agreed with my Department on an administrative basis, given the priority placed on seeing this homes occupied as soon as was possible. For Taylor Hill, in order to be eligible, net household income was required to be lower than €53,000 per annum. Prioritisation thereafter was informed by identifying household need and size relative to the homes being made available.
It is my intention to make Regulations governing the eligibility conditions that will be applicable to Cost Rental over the longer term, including the household income limits, by November 2021.
