Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

266. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which the number of local authority housing lists have been reduced in the past 12 months whether on income grounds or new house building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39329/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently conducted SSHA, carried out in June 2018, details the number of households on all local authority waiting lists as at 11 June 2018 (the count date).

The results show that, on the count date, 71,858 households were assessed as qualified and being in need of a social housing support. This represents a decrease of 13,941 households or 16.2% on the last assessment in June 2017. Since commencing Rebuilding Ireland, Action Plan for Housing and Homeless in 2016, the numbers of households on social housing waiting lists have dropped from 91,600 to 71,858 – a reduction of 22%.

Under Rebuilding Ireland, a total of 50,000 social housing homes will be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. In addition to this, 87,000 additional households will be supported through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).

The combination of 50,000 social housing homes and 87,000 HAP and RAS social housing supports, which are being funded by the Government in the period 2016 to 2021, means that over 137,000 long term and flexible options will be made available to those on housing waiting lists under Rebuilding Ireland.

The Government, working with the local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other delivery agents, is already exceeding the delivery targets set for the first two years of Rebuilding Ireland. Of the combined target of 137,000 referred to above, just under 45,000 households have had their housing need met by the end of year 2 of the Rebuilding Ireland Plan – 33% of those targeted under the 6 year Plan as a whole.

In 2017, 25,901 households had their housing need met, with some 7,095 of these properties delivered through the build/acquisition and long-term leasing mechanisms.

Data relating to overall social housing delivery in 2017 and to end Q2 2018, across all local authorities, is published on my Department's website at the following link:

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.

In 2018, I expect to see at least 25,500 households having their housing need met. I have advised all local authorities of their minimum social housing targets across build, acquisition and lease both for 2018 and also for the multi-annual period to 2021, details of which can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link:

.