Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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1114. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the options for families in affordable homes if they cannot live in these homes due to overcrowding. [38343/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The allocation of an affordable home was made on the basis that an individual was in need of housing, was a first time buyer, could not afford to purchase privately on the open market but could service a mortgage obtained by loan through an approved financial institution or a local authority where private finance has been refused. All Local Authority affordable housing schemes were stood down in 2011.

In order to prevent short-term profit taking on the resale of the house to the detriment of the objectives of the schemes, houses sold to first time buyers under the various affordable housing schemes, at a significant discount from market value, contain a clawback provision. However, where a person is selling an affordable home and the clawback amount payable would reduce the proceeds of resale below the initial price actually paid, the legislation provides for the amount of the clawback payable to be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid that result. A breach of contract conditions would be a matter for a local authority to pursue as it considers appropriate given the particular circumstances involved.

The State provides a wide range of supports to assist households in meeting their housing need ranging from income support and rent supplement, provided through the Department of Social Protection, to social housing supports provided by my Department, local authorities and approved housing bodies.

In order for a household to qualify for social housing support, a housing authority must carry out an assessment to establish whether the household meets specified eligibility requirements and has a housing need.  The housing need criteria, as prescribed in the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 include a requirement to have regard to whether the applicant’s current accommodation is overcrowded within the meaning of Section 63 of the Housing Act 1966. The allocation of social housing supports to qualifying households is a matter for each housing authority in accordance with its allocation scheme made under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.