Latest news with #RentalAccommodationScheme
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘Drastic reduction' in funding for housing scheme will have ‘real and painful consequences' for tenants in Wexford
Now, following WCC's confirmation that just 20 homes will be purchased under the scheme this year – compared to 35 in 2024 - local Sinn Féin councillor Tom Forde has accused Minister Browne of directly impacting those at risk of homelessness. 'As a public representative for the people of Wexford, I want to express my deep disappointment at the significant reduction in the capacity of WCC to acquire homes under the Tenant-In-Situ scheme in 2025,' said Cllr Forde. 'Under new directives from the Department of Housing, the council is now expected to acquire a possible 20 units in 2025, with some of those acquisitions coming from 2024 applications. "This drastic reduction—potentially more than 50 per cent — is a direct result of diminished funding allocated by the Minister for Housing, James Browne. WCC availed of just over €8m for this scheme in 2024, with funding reduced to just over €6m for 2025. The minister is clearly moving in the wrong direction.' Under the changes to the scheme local authorities and approved housing bodies have been requested to prioritise buying houses for families with children, older people, or people with disabilities. Furthermore, WCC can only enact a purchase in cases where a landlord has issued a no-fault eviction notice with the intent to sell the property. Previously, councils were permitted to buy any property where a tenant was facing eviction due to a landlord selling the property, provided they were in receipt of housing supports like Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). 'This decision will have real and painful consequences for people in our community,' continued Cllr Forde. 'The Tenant-In-Situ scheme has been one of the few effective tools to prevent homelessness and protect renters caught in an increasingly hostile housing market. Reducing its scope at a time when no fault eviction rates remain high is both unacceptable and unjust. 'WCC has worked hard to make this scheme a success, but we cannot do it without the necessary support from central government. The reduction in funding severely hampers our ability to intervene and offer housing security to families and individuals who need it most. I am calling on the Minister for Housing to immediately review this short-sighted decision and restore full funding for the Tenant-In-Situ (TIS) scheme in Wexford and across the country. "We must not turn our backs on those at risk of homelessness. Everyone deserves a secure place to call home.' Confirming that WCC will 'acquire possibly 20 properties' through the scheme in 2025, a spokesperson for the council said, 'We will continue to accept any applications for TIS from eligible applicants who are in receipt of a valid notice to quit (NTQ), however, we are yet to receive confirmation from the department on whether the scheme will continue or if funding will be available in 2026.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Independent
20-07-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
One Kerry municipal district has almost 900 applicants waiting for social housing
The district is comprised of Listowel, Lixnaw, Abbeydorney, Causeway, Ballyduff, Ballybunion, Ballylongford, Tarbert, Moyvane, Duagh and other areas. There are currently 870 applicants approved by Kerry County Council waiting for social housing in the region. This includes those who have selected the district as their primary area of choice and also applicants in other parts of Kerry who have indicated they may be interested in living in the region. The local authority has received 89 applications from people who have expressed an interest in an area within the district this year. A total of 74 of these applications have been approved. Of those approved applicants interested in living in Listowel Municipal District, 442 are waiting for a one-bedroom home. 254 have expressed interest in a two-bed home and 136 are awaiting a three-bed dwelling. Four-bed units are of interest to 31 applicants while seven applicants are awaiting a five-bed home. There are currently 1,246 tenancies across the available social housing schemes in the district. These schemes include Local Authority Housing, the Rental Accommodation Scheme, leasing and Housing Assistance Payments. A total of 25 tenancies in the area have begun in the Listowel district since the start of this year. The figures were included in a housing report discussed at the Listowel MD meeting for July.
Irish Independent
19-07-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Almost 900 applicants waiting for social housing in North Kerry
The district is comprised of Listowel, Lixnaw, Abbeydorney, Causeway, Ballyduff, Ballybunion, Ballylongford, Tarbert, Moyvane, Duagh and other areas. There are currently 870 applicants approved by Kerry County Council waiting for social housing in the region. This includes those who have selected the district as their primary area of choice and also applicants in other parts of Kerry who have indicated they may be interested in living in the region. The local authority has received 89 applications from people who have expressed an interest in an area within the district this year. A total of 74 of these applications have been approved. Of those approved applicants interested in living in Listowel Municipal District, 442 are waiting for a one-bedroom home. 254 have expressed interest in a two-bed home and 136 are awaiting a three-bed dwelling. Four-bed units are of interest to 31 applicants while seven applicants are awaiting a five-bed home. There are currently 1,246 tenancies across the available social housing schemes in the district. These schemes include Local Authority Housing, the Rental Accommodation Scheme, leasing and Housing Assistance Payments. A total of 25 tenancies in the area have begun in the Listowel district since the start of this year. The figures were included in a housing report discussed at the Listowel MD meeting for July.
The Journal
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Aontú leader says social housing waiting list figures are 'out by the population of Tullamore'
AONTÚ LEADER PEADAR Tóibín has claimed that the Government is 'understating' both homelessness figures and the numbers of people on social housing waiting lists. Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon during Leader's Questions, Tóibín said he had submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every Local Authority and that the information he received 'contradicted the information the Government is giving out'. He said he asked all Local Authorities for the 'number of homeless people that exist throughout the State' and that the current figure provided is 16,472. The most recent figures released by the Government stood at 15,580. 'Your government is understating the number of homeless people in this state by 892 people currently,' said Tóbín. He added that he also asked Local Authorities for the number of people on housing waiting lists and that the combined figure across the State that he received was 75,000. The most recent official government figure is 58,824. 'Your ability to count the number of people who are on the housing waiting list at the moment is out by the population of Tullamore,' said Tóbín. Tóbín also asked Local Authorities about the number of council-owned homes that are currently empty, and this figure across the State is 3,779. 'Having empty homes in the middle of a housing crisis is akin to exporting food in the middle of the famine,' said Tóibín. In a statement to the PA news agency, Aontú said the highest council-owned home vacancy rate was in Cork City at 355, followed by Dublin City Council at 336, Fingal at 323 and Limerick and City Council at 315. Speaking in the Dáil, Tóibín added that the government is 'paying nearly €600 million to house people in RAS (Rental Accommodation Scheme) and HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) home while so many Local Authority homes are empty'. Tóbín asked if this was government 'incompetence' or if it was 'actually misleading the general public'. In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris said: 'I hate to burst your 'gotcha' moment, but I'd suggest that you might wish to interrogate your numbers'. Harris said there 'can be duplications' and people 'involved with more than one Local Authority'. Advertisement Meanwhile, Harris said that 'this is what people do when they seek to be divisive, to try and dispute official figures'. He added that these figures 'aren't calculated by government in a party political sense' and that they are calculated in a 'robust, impartial manner'. 'If we could at least have the decency to respect the impartiality and robustness of those who gather statistics in Ireland, because if we start trying to erode belief in statistics, that's part of a bigger agenda I think,' said Harris. However, Tóbín said 'you cannot be on two social housing lists simultaneously'. 'Either you're incompetent and you're not able to count the number of people who are actually on waiting lists at the moment, or you're trying to hide the fact,' said Tóbín. 'The reason why I think you're misleading the people is because you have previous on this. 'Right up to the jaws of the last general election, you were determined to give the impression that 40,000 homes were going to be built that year. 'As soon as that election was finished, it became very clear that that statement was wrong. 'This housing crisis is far too serious for misinformation,' said Tóibín. The government has previously defended supplying the public with incorrect figures in the lead-up to the 2024 General Election, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin insisting that he and his party had not attempted to mislead the public with the inflated figures. Harris replied by stating that 'this is far too serious to engage in conspiracy theories'. 'You suggest I'm going around counting people here,' said Harris. 'The reality is we have robust, politically independent, impartial structures in our state. 'I want to know who in the public service you're calling 'incompetent', it's our public service and they do a bloody good job.'. 'I made the point in relation to the duplication regarding how you can report homelessness in more than one area and that didn't suit you,' said Harris. He added: 'We're working on trying to make progress – day in, day out, new ideas, big, bold decisions, every day to get to the 300,000 homes (by 2030). 'You're just simply over there throwing brickbats and engaging in conspiracy theories.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
No guarantees that Wexford families ineligible for housing scheme will receive offer of emergency accommodation
Following changes to the conditions of the tenant-in-situ scheme, previously eligible families across Co Wexford are now facing eviction and possible homelessness. The scheme, which allows county councils to buy rented properties from private landlords so that tenants can continue to live there, was altered at the beginning of the year with the criteria for eligibility tightened. As a result, many of those previously awaiting confirmation of their acceptance onto the scheme are now ineligible and no longer qualify for this support. And in a further blow, it has been confirmed that some of these families will not receive any support from Wexford County Council (WCC) if and when they are evicted. Speaking at the April meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) Councillor Aoife Rose O'Brien said she had been 'devastated' to learn that the council will not even provide emergency accommodation for some of those no longer eligible for the tenant-in-situ scheme. 'I have contacted one of the council officials and was extremely disappointed with one of the answers to my questions; it was confirmed to me that only in some cases will an ineligible tenant receive an offer of emergency accommodation or be offered any further supports,' said the Sinn Féin councillor. 'These tenants have been in limbo for eight months now, in some cases they're still awaiting a response (to their tenant-in-situ applications) on whether they're eligible and the purchase will go ahead. I appreciate this is not the fault of the council, this is down to the exiting government, but we have to honour the people who were waiting, whose landlords had been told the tenant would be able to purchase further down the line. "They're facing eviction now, as a local authority we need to address this and find a proper solution for those families.' Housing officer Sharon Ryan said WCC tried to 'accommodate people who haven't been approved under tenant-in-situ scheme' and that anyone who is on the social housing list was eligible for supports like Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) or the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). 'I'm surprised you were told there would be no homeless services available,' she continued, 'the only instance I can think of (where this would happen) was if someone was in arrears. But even in those cases we would work with those people.' In an email seen by The Wexford People, a county council official responded to Cllr O'Brien's concerns regarding those now deemed ineligible for the tenant-in-situ scheme. "As in all cases where a household is facing homelessness, the Homeless Services and Support Unit will work with them to identify options and offer supports, which includes access to emergency accommodation in some cases,' the email reads. 'In cases where a household /property is not eligible for acquisition, we provide landlords alternative options for consideration including HAP and RAS. 'The households that are currently ineligible will likely not receive an offer of full social housing at this time due to many other households having longer time on the list.'
