Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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256. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update under Housing for All to end long-term leasing by local authorities and approved housing bodies through phasing out new entrants and focus on new-build to provide social housing homes. [7118/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under Housing for All the Government plans to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 homes per year over the next decade. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes.

This includes the delivery of 47,600 new build social homes in the period 2022-2026. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.

Housing for All sets out that there will a managed phasing out of new long term leasing projects over the lifetime of the plan. It is envisaged that 3,500 units will be delivered through long term leasing from 2022 to 2025. The number of new entrants and projects into the long term leasing scheme is reducing over the lifetime of the plan; tapering down from a target of 1,300 units in 2022 to 200 units in 2025.

As a necessary measure to accelerate social housing delivery in response to emerging pressures being experienced across the housing system, The Housing Agency in conjunction with my Department has been exploring the introduction of an emergency new targeted leasing initiative. Proposals were sought under an expression of interest process from market providers for the potential delivery of approximately 1,000 properties through a time-bound and limited targeted leasing intervention in the areas of greatest need. This initiative is still under consideration at present. These 1,000 homes would be separate and additional to the current long term leasing scheme.

Housing for All commits to ending long term leasing by the end of 2025. This policy remains unchanged, however leasing continues to be an important mechanism for expedited delivery to meet social housing needs as build supply ramps up to meet demand.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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257. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update under Housing for All to strengthen the mortgage to rent scheme to ensure it meets the needs of those in long-term mortgage arrears. [7119/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 313 of 31 January 2023 which sets out the position in this matter.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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258. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update under Housing for All to reform the tenant purchase scheme. [7120/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme.

The scheme was reviewed during 2021 in line with the Programme for Government and Housing for All. The Government approved a number of amendments as a result of this review and these amendments came into effect on 1 February 2022.

The amendments include a reduction in the minimum reckonable annual income requirement from €15,000 to €12,500. This means older tenants, whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension, can qualify to buy their homes if they have the financial means to do so. The time an applicant is required to be in receipt of social housing supports in order to be able to apply under the scheme has also been revised. This has been increased from one to ten years.

Further changes to the scheme are currently being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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259. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update under Housing for All to revise and reform income eligibility for social housing. [7121/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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A Review of Income Eligibility for Social Housing Support was carried out by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department in Q4 2021. A copy of the review is available on my Department's website at gov.ie - Review of Income Eligibility for Social Housing Support (www.gov.ie)

On foot of the review, the baseline income eligibility thresholds for five local authorities - Carlow, Clare, Galway County, Laois and Westmeath - were increased from €25,000 to €30,000 in October 2022.

A further increase to the baseline thresholds was approved for all local authority areas with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased by €5,000 to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively, with an estimated 16,000 additional households potentially eligible for social housing support as a result.

My Department has also commenced work to scope options for a new social housing income eligibility model and I expect proposals for a new model to be submitted for my consideration in Q1 2023.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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260. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update under Housing for All to work towards eradicating homelessness by 2030. [7122/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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As a signatory of the Lisbon Declaration on the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness, Ireland has committed, along with other member states, to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. This will be done through a number of actions including:

- Increasing the supply of housing. 300,000 homes will be delivered between now and the end of 2030 including 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable homes and 18,000 cost rental homes;

- Increasing the number of ‘Housing First’ tenancies;

- Establishment of new National Homeless Action Committee;

- Developing a Youth Homelessness Strategy;

- Expanding outreach services.

Work on these actions is well underway.

The National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC) was established in Q4 2021. The overarching objective of NHAC is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to address homelessness. Beyond this, the Committee also has a role in addressing emerging homeless-related issues and in developing further responses.

While local authorities are funded to provide tenancy sustainment and prevention services, I have tasked the National Homelessness Action Committee to make recommendations on new prevention measures. Furthermore, I published the Youth Homeless Strategy on 9 November 2022 that sets out 27 distinct actions to prevent young people entering homelessness.

Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies. A new Housing First National Implementation Plan covering the period 2022-2026 was published in December 2021. The plan provides for a further 1,319 tenancies over this period and the report for Q4 2022 shows that a total of 240 tenancies have been created during 2022.

I have introduced further measures to increase supply, including a new voids programme with an emphasis on quick turnaround and re-letting, the pilot expansion of the Repair and Leasing scheme and the reinstatement of the delegated sanction to local authorities for social housing acquisitions. I also want to make it abundantly clear that there are no impediments, from my Department’s point of view, to the acquisition of homes with HAP or RAS tenants in situ and I have strongly advised the Local Authorities to be proactive in this regard.

The Housing Agency has also completed a good practice guide for Street Outreach for local authorities. This manual will assist regions in expanding outreach services into those urban areas in which rough sleeping is understood to be a concern.

Ultimately, increased supply across all tenures is key to eradicating homelessness. Housing supply is increasing under Housing for All. Record State investment of €4.5bn will be made available in 2023 to support the largest State home building programme ever, with 9,100 direct build social homes and 5,500 affordable homes.