Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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533. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the targets for 2015 for the provision of social housing units under the Rental Accommodation Scheme and through leasing, by local authority; how many units have been provided, by local authority, under these schemes in 2015; how much or how far under-target is the provision for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4254/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The report Social Housing Output in 2015contains details on the progress made under each of the social housing programmes last year and is available on my Department’s website at:.

Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), a target of 3,000 units was set for delivery in 2015. To the end of November 2015, a total of 1,084 units were delivered under the SHCEP. While the total number of units delivered to end 2015 is yet to be finalised, I estimate that the final figure will be in the region of 1,450 units.

The Social Housing Strategy2020identified a national target of 2,000 additional transfers from rent supplement to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) for 2015. To end of November 2015, 1,644 households had transferred from Rent Supplement to RAS. My Department estimates that when the December 2015 figures are finalised around 1,823 households will have transferred to RAS in 2015.

The Housing Assistance Payment is being introduced incrementally on a pilot basis to local authority areas. A total of 5,680 households commenced HAP in 2015, in addition to the 485 supported by the Scheme in 2014. A detailed breakdown on a local authority basis is set out in the Table below.

While overall supply in the private rented market may have had an effect on the achievement of targets in RAS and SHCEP in 2015, all efforts were made, working with delivery partners in local authorities, approved housing bodies and NAMA, to deliver maximum output under each delivery mechanism, and to put in place the enabling measures for a significant multi-annual construction programme.

Furthermore, to maximise the availability of social housing to those on the waiting list, I committed to supporting local authorities to remediate the maximum number possible of vacant and lettable units in 2015.  Accordingly, I increased the initial 2015 target of 1,000 such units, to ultimately provide funding for almost 2,700 units to be brought back into use across all local authorities.  Furthermore, I provided funding to local authorities to undertake suitable acquisitions of houses and apartments; over 1,000 such acquisitions were made in 2015 which, along with the return of vacant units, has delivered immediate housing to those on the waiting lists.

Units delivered under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) to end November 2015

Number of HAP tenancies commenced in in 2015

* Dublin City Council is operating HAP Homeless pilot on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities.

** Includes some households supported through the HAP Homeless pilot.