Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
351. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions that are being taken to reduce the number of persons on social housing lists from going over the income threshold through no fault of their own other than being on the housing list for a number of years. [52261/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The 2011 Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.
Once a household has been assessed and been found to qualify for social housing support, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. HAP tenants find their own accommodation in the private rented market.
Where a household does not avail of HAP, they are put on the waiting list for a social housing home, which is allocated in accordance with the local authorities allocation scheme. Regulation 29 of the 2011 Regulations provides that the household’s qualification for support shall be reassessed at the point of allocation of support. If upon review, a household is found to exceed the limits on income eligibility grounds, for example, they would be removed from the list.
The increased availability of social housing will address the waiting times for local authority social housing. The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade, including an average of 10,000 social homes per annum from 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4b per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn in funding through the Housing Finance Agency over a five year period.
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. Individual targets for the delivery of social housing have been provided to each local authority and under Housing for All, each local authority is required to develop a Housing Delivery Action Plan by December 2021. These plans will set out details on how and when local authorities will deliver their housing targets, including the delivery of affordable homes.
Additional funding will also be provided to support households on social housing waiting lists to secure a tenancy, supported by the Housing Assistance Payment, while we increase the supply of housing stock managed by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
