Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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).

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 at least 1,500 social homes. 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. My Department issued a circular letter to all local authorities in March, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional target for social housing acquisitions in 2023 and these allocations are being kept under review.

It is matter for each local authority to decide on appropriate acquisitions having regard to the arrangements for the scheme. My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority, including completed acquisitions. This data is available to the end of 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 1 and Quarter 2 2023 is currently being collated and will be published shortly. My Department does not collect information on the numbers of acquisitions that do not proceed.

The Government has developed the ‘Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ’ scheme for tenants in private rental homes who are at risk of homelessness because a landlord intends to sell the property, but who are not in receipt of social housing supports. The scheme was established on a temporary administrative basis from 1 April 2023, pending further policy development over the longer term with the intention of transitioning these tenants and homes to the standard Cost Rental model.

The household income limit for scheme eligibility increased to €66,000 net for Dublin and €59,000 net elsewhere. This limit is in line with the recent changes to cost rental eligibility limits from 1 August 2023.

Local Authority Housing Officers have responsibility for assessing the risk of homelessness to tenants who have received a valid notification of termination due to an intended sale of a property, and so it is the local authority that tenants should first approach.

If the local authority is satisfied that the applicant tenant household is eligible for CRTiS they will pass the details of the tenant and the property to the Housing Agency for consideration for potential acquisition. The Housing Agency will then engage with the tenant and the landlord with a view to acquiring the property. The Housing Agency will partner with an independent third party, potentially an Affordable Housing Body (AHB), to manage and maintain the homes.

It is the longer-term intention of the scheme, however, to transition these tenancies and homes to the standard framework for Cost Rental, where rents are set at a level to meet the costs of acquiring, managing, and maintaining the home. It is for this reason that the CRTiS eligibility criteria align with those in the standard Cost Rental framework.

Data on the number of Cost Rental acquisitions being progressed will be published in conjunction with the Social Housing Quarterly Statistics shortly.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

435. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the progress made to date with the review of the mortgage to rent scheme; whether the conclusions of the review will be published; the date it is expected to be completed by; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39837/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Both the Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to strengthening the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme and ensuring that it is helping those who need it. Building on the significant amendments already made to the scheme in 2017, the 2021 Review, which was published on the 24 January 2022, examined the impact of these changes and what further changes would benefit those in need of the scheme. While the scheme is performing well, it was assessed that some further enhancements were needed to enable more households in need of State support with their long-term housing needs to avail of this scheme.

Four broad categories of actions are identified in the review, including:

a) Broadening the eligibility criteria;

b) Improving the scheme process, structure and financing;

c) Increasing communication and awareness raising; and

d) Responding to developments around mortgage arrears solutions.

A number of actions have been completed and progress is also being made under other actions within the review.

One key priority action of the Review was to broaden the eligibility criteria of the scheme and this was implemented in February 2022. These include changes to the positive equity and property acquisition limits and more flexibility on over-accommodation where a member of the household is aged 65 or over, or has a disability.

The increase in the income threshold for social housing has also opened the MTR scheme up to more borrowers because households entering Mortgage to Rent must qualify for social housing support. These changes have enabled borrowers to apply for the scheme, who wouldn't have been eligible previously.

An advertising campaign on urban and regional buses was conducted in Q4 2022 under the 'Communication and awareness raising' action and further initiatives to increase awareness of the scheme will be undertaken. There is continued engagement with Abhaile, the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) to disseminate information on the MTR scheme.

My Department, in conjunction with the Housing Agency is currently running an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process which invited participants from both the private and Approved Housing Body (AHB) sector to put forward their interest in becoming MTR providers who can deliver the scheme at scale. This EOI process is necessary for the long-term sustainability of the scheme and will offer lenders more providers with whom they can engage and process cases. The results of this process will be announced shortly.

The Cross Sectoral Working Group was established and meetings were held in 2022 with the next meeting due to take place once the EOI process referred to above is fully concluded.

Full details of the recommendations and associated actions are outlined within the 2021 Review of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme for people who have borrowed from commercial private lending institutions and this review is available on my Department's website under Publications: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ed57b-2021-review-of-the-mortgage-to-rent-scheme-for-borrowers-of-commercial-private-lending-institutions/.

There are currently no plans to publish a further report on this review.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

537. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many croí cónaithe vacant property refurbishment grants have been approved in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40465/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 436, 514 and 537 together.

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.

In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use.

From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not been used as residential heretofore, subject to appropriate planning permission being in place.

Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.

The grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built up to and including 2007, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.

My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed at the following link: Vacancy grant statistics