Ms Kathleen Holohan:

I thank the committee for this opportunity to make a presentation. The council's submission has been forwarded to the committee. The main focus of this presentation will be on meeting the current housing demand but we can answer questions on the general scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County is spatially by far the smallest county in the State with a population of almost 207,000, an increase of 7,000 in the 2011 census. The age profile in the county differs from the national average in that there are fewer people aged under 14 years and more people aged over 65 years.

In common with other counties, the rate of house completion in the county has reduced significantly, from 3,000 in 2007 to only 200 in 2012. The most recent population targets suggest a requirement of 2,500 residential units per annum. There are almost 640 ha. of zoned residential land in the county, of which almost half are currently unserviced.

With regard to social housing, the council manages a stock of more than 4,200 social housing units and 543 rental accommodation scheme, RAS, units, 396 of which are private rented tenancies and 147 are voluntary housing. We also have 156 dwellings leased under the various social leasing models and 76 properties have been made available on the rent-to-buy scheme.

We currently have 4,319 applicants on the council social housing support list. The housing needs assessment carried out in May 2013 showed the majority of those on the list - 83% - had a general housing need, with relatively small demand for disability, homeless, Traveller specific and age related categories of need. Most of those on the list - 55% - are currently living in private rented accommodation and a further 20% are living with parents.

The council uses all the various schemes available to meet demand for social housing in the county. For households not in priority position to receive an offer under the schemes, the alternative option has been to source private rented accommodation, with or without rent supplement. However, in recent years, with the recession and accompanying reduction in numbers of dwellings being completed, demand for private rented accommodation, particularly in Dún-Laoghaire-Rathdown has far exceeded supply and the rents demanded have escalated. This has had the knock-on effect of reducing the efficacy of rent supplement as a housing solution, as the rent supplement caps, which were revised in June 2013, are well below the average rent rates for family homes in the county.

The current housing demand has also been affected by an increasing number of households presenting as homeless. This has occurred for a number of reasons, including banks foreclosing and forcing sales, home owners finding themselves in unsustainable mortgage arrears, householders being unable to afford rents and rent increases and a general decrease in supply and affordability of private rented accommodation. The increase in current housing demand is caused largely by the lack of supply of dwellings. Low supply is particularly acute in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, as is the increase in rent rates. While the council is using all the social housing scheme options available to it, the problem will not be solved by the provision of an increase in social housing supply only. An increase in the supply of dwellings is required through restarting construction activity.

The submission circulated by the City and County Managers' Association outlines a number of options for consideration in the context of developing a more strategic and integrated approach to meet housing need, which would include all stakeholders, including financial institutions. Working in partnership with other public and private stakeholders, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will continue to play a key role in meeting housing needs at local level, whether through direct social housing provision or alternative social housing models.

The role local authorities play in providing a broad range of housing supports to marginal communities is often unrecognised as they are often responsible for providing housing solutions where other options may have failed. Therefore, in devising any new social housing policy, it is extremely important to ensure there is clarity on the future role of local authorities to achieve a positive policy outcome. It is also necessary for policy-makers to clarify systems of prioritisation in the provision of social housing supports, specifically in terms of disability and congregated settings, medical needs, Traveller accommodation, homelessness, including the provision of supports to homeless families, residential care and the release of sexual offenders.

While the new housing assistance payment arrangements may have resourcing implications for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the council welcomes the provisions included in the general scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014, particularly the sections dealing with procedures for termination of tenancies. We note, however, that the position regarding the protection of identities of persons giving information regarding anti-social behaviour will need detailed consideration and provisions.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has a strong record of working in partnership with a variety of agencies and stakeholders to deliver social housing. It is through working together that we must address the issue of meeting current housing need.