John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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302. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many applications were received for both phase 1 and phase 2 of a cost rental scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15078/23]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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303. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many applicants met the full eligibility criteria, net income below €53k and no more than 35% of net income used for rent, for both phase 1 and phase 2 of a cost rental scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15079/23]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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304. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many properties were offered to people through the lottery system in both phase 1 and phase 2 of a cost rental scheme (details supplied) due to insufficient expressions of interest from applications who met the affordability criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15080/23]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of the difficulties that applicants are having in meeting the eligibility criteria for a cost rental scheme (details supplied); if he will examine this matter and consider reducing the monthly rent on the scheme to ensure applicants can meet the eligibility criteria without difficulty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15081/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 302, 303, 304 and 305 together.

I can confirm that the planned cost rental homes at Archers Woods, Delgany will be delivered, managed and maintained by the Land Development Agency (LDA). LDA has indicated it plans to deliver 142 cost rental homes in Delgany and I can confirm that to date, 48 of these homes have been formally Designated as Cost Rental under the provisions of the Affordable Housing Act. My Department has no role in advertising, assessing applications or the allocation of Cost Rental homes which is the responsibility of the entity/landlord applying for cost rental Designation for homes (in this case the LDA). As such, it would be more appropriate for any questions relating to such processes to be directed to the LDA via oireachtas@lda.ie.

All Cost Rental providers are legally obliged to make Cost Rental homes available in line with the provisions of Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. The process of allocating a tenancy under cost rental is set out in Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and the associated Ministerial regulations. All Cost Rental properties must be leased to a tenant whose household falls within prescribed eligibility conditions. The main eligibility criteria comprises the imposition of a net income limit of €53,000 per household. Tenants are selected on an open application basis, and where demand exceeds supply, a lottery of all eligible applicants is used.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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306. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the provision that is being made within the tenant-in-situ scheme for tenants who are renting a property with a HAP in one local authority area but receive the HAP and are therefore on the housing list of a different local authority. [15085/23]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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310. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the provision that is being made within the tenant-in-situ scheme for tenants who are renting a HAP property in one local authority area but receive HAP from and are therefore on the social housing transfer list with a different local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15205/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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323. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline how the tenant-in-situ scheme will work when a tenant’s home is in a different local authority area to where they are on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15364/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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324. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how the targets for tenant-in-situ purchases were assigned, and in particular to explain why there has only been a target of 50 homes assigned to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15365/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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325. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide a comprehensive list of any regulations or guidelines for the tenant-in-situ scheme, and also for the tenant in-situ-scheme where people are above the housing income limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15366/23]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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327. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will outline and publish the additional funds that have been designated for local authorities for tenants in-situ purchase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15415/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 306, 307, 310, 323, 324, 325 and 327 together.

Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. 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.

Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

Under Housing for All, there was provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. However, with increased pressures on housing and the exit of landlords from the market, my Department reinstated delegated sanction to local authorities in April 2022 to acquire social housing properties for a number of specific categories which included:

- One-bedroom units to deliver on Housing First and meet the short supply in this category;

- Other properties that allow persons/families to exit homelessness; and

- Specific housing required for/suitable for individuals with a disability or other particular priority needs.

For 2023, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department will fund local authorities to acquire up to 1,500 social homes and my Department. The additional acquisitions will be focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. A circular letter issued to all local authorities on 14 March, setting out details of these arrangements. The circular provided each local authority with a provisional allocation for the number of acquisitions, which will be kept under review.

Local authorities have delegated sanction to deliver the 1,300 additional acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by the Department. However, my Department will also consider proposals for acquisitions where the cost exceeds the costs set out in the Guidelines. The associated funding to support the delivery of additional homes through increased social housing acquisitions in 2023 will come from within the Department’s overall capital envelope assigned under the National Development Plan (NDP). No specific financial allocation has been made to individual local authorities.

Where a household is on the housing list in one local authority but has secured a HAP tenancy in another local authority area, the arrangements in place will support the acquisition of the property, where appropriate. The City and County Management Association (CCMA) has assured me that local authorities are collaborating on such situations and my Department will work closely with local authorities on this measure.

My Department is also developing proposals for a bespoke cost rental model which would see a nominated provider avail of this First Right of Refusal to purchase the property and allow tenants who have received a notice of termination and who are at risk of homelessness, but are not eligible for social housing supports, to continue to reside in the property.

In the meantime, the cost rental tenant in situ backstop will be applied on a temporary administrative basis from 1 April 2023, prior to legislative enactment, with a view to supporting households at risk of homelessness. Further details on this measure will be announced shortly.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity in all local authorities, including information on social housing acquisitions. This data is available until the end of Quarter 3 2022 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.

Data for Quarter 4 is currently being collated and will be published shortly. Data published to date does not include a breakdown of properties acquired where a tenant has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. For 2023, an amendment is being made to my Department's statistical returns to collect information in this regard.