Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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214. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has identified the ongoing monthly housing accommodation requirement for those on local authority housing waiting lists, given the pattern of the past 12 months; if he anticipate extra measures to address a potential increase in a number of families who cannot access rental accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44611/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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In terms of the social housing need, the 2013 Summary of Social Housing Assessments identified some 89,872 households nationally as qualified as being in need of social housing supports these results are the most up-to-date and reliable figures currently available. The majority of this number, 46,584 (52%), were found to be dependent on rent supplement and were therefore already supported in terms of housing by the State.The results of the 2013 Assessments are based on a comprehensive review of households on housing lists on a set date, which involved local authorities contacting individual households to confirm their continued requirement and qualification for social housing support.

All households which qualified for social housing support prior to 1 April 2011 were subjected to a full review to ascertain whether they met the new requirements under the 2011 Regulations, while those which qualified after 1 April 2011 were reviewed so as to ensure their continued compliance with the 2011 Regulations.

The 2013 figure is of course subject to on-going fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and new households applying. To take a snapshot of housing need in any given county, at a point in time in 2015, and compare it to the 2013 data, which was compiled as a result of rigorous analysis, has methodological weaknesses, which would distort the overall picture of need.

In terms of the Government’s overall response, a shortage of supply is at the heart of the current challenges in the housing sector and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts.

The Government’s Construction 2020 Strategy , published last year, is aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting the estimated residential demand of 25,000 units per annum are resolved. My Department and other relevant Government Departments and agencies are actively implementing the range of commitments set out therein. In addition, NAMA is aiming to deliver a target of 20,000 residential units before the end of 2020. 90% of these units will be in the greater Dublin area, with approximately 75% of the units being starter homes.

With regard to social housing delivery, the Social Housing Strategy 2020 sets out clear, measurable actions to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the social housing list. The Strategy has been supported by two successive budgets with €1.7 billion allocated to housing, with associated delivery targets of over 33,000 units across both Capital and Current programmes. Given the pressing need to recommence a house building programme almost €3 billion in capital funding will be provided in support of the Social Housing Strategy under the Government’s Capital Plan - Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021.

The unprecedented support and funding being allocated to bring vacant and boarded-up social housing units back into use is a notable example of the Social Housing Strategy’s focused and realistic approach. Over 2,300 units were delivered in 2014, and I expect 2,500 units to be completed in 2015.

The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy. There are currently more than 5,400 households in receipt of HAP and the scheme has been rolled out to all categories of household in 18 local authority areas. Dublin City Council is also implementing a HAP pilot scheme for homeless households in the Dublin region on behalf of all four Dublin local authorities.

In recognition of the need for greater flexibility in the challenging Dublin region rental market, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and I have signed the Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment) (No.4) Regulations 2015, which provide for the introduction of HAP in Kildare and Meath County Councils with maximum rent limits equivalent to current Rent Supplement rates applicable in the neighbouring Dublin areas. These regulations also provide for an additional 20% flexibility above the maximum rent limits that apply for the purposes of HAP in the administrative areas of Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Galway County Council, Kildare County Council and Meath County Council, where this is necessary to source suitable accommodation for a household that is qualified for social housing support.

On 10 November 2015, Government approval was given to a package of measures to address rent stability and housing supply. The measures will act to stabilise rents in the short to medium term while the additional supply of housing comes on stream. In relation to rent stability, the measures were given effect by the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, enacted on 4 December 2015. This Act provides, inter alia, that the minimum period between rent reviews for tenancies is being increased from 12 to 24 months and this new provision will apply for a 4 year period. In addition, the minimum period of notice of new rent is increased from 28 days to 90 days and longer notice periods for the termination of long-term tenancies have been introduced.

Details of the full package of new rent stability and housing supply measures are available at the following link:.

Cognisant of the difficulty faced by households in accessing the housing market, Budget 2016 provided for an affordable rental pilot scheme, with €10 million being made available. The Scheme will be an on-going annual commitment to secure a long term increase in the supply of affordable properties to meet the needs of those households that would struggle to make rental payments under present market conditions. Details of the Scheme are currently being finalised in my Department and will be completed by end-year, for rollout in early 2016.

Through these and other actions delivered to date under the Social Housing StrategyMinister Coffey and I have been actively supporting all local authorities to increase the supply of social housing to meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list, with flexibility to meet future demand. Moreover, in order to get the most accurate data relating to the numbers applying for social housing support, the Strategy includes a commitment to undertake social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016 onwards.