Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2024
388. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to amend the tenant-in-situ scheme to introduce mandatory local authority purchase for certain tenants who are supported through the housing assistance payment or rental accommodation scheme. [18127/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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).
Under Housing for All, there is provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. However, with increased pressures on housing and the exit of landlords from the market, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social housing acquisitions in 2023. This has continued into 2024 and my Department will fund local authorities to acquire up to 1,500 social homes this year. The additional acquisitions are focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. Local authorities have delegated sanction in relation to these acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) issued by the Department.
The primary reason for the restrictions on social housing acquisitions is to avoid undue impact on the private housing market, including avoiding competition with first time buyers or acquisitions by other private individuals/families.
It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy. Local authorities take appropriate steps to ensure that their first response will be to support households to try to prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served with a notice of termination by their landlord. It should be noted that the tenant in situ scheme is only one of a number of options open to local authorities to deal with tenants at risk of homelessness. It is appropriate that the local authorities who engage directly with the at risk household on the matter determine the appropriate response in each individual case.
