Latest news with #tenantInSitu
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
More than 100 families in Dublin at risk of homelessness as tenant-in-situ applications paused
More than 100 families in Dublin are at risk of homelessness after Dublin City Council paused new applications to the tenant-in-situ scheme due to a lack of funding, council figures indicate. The scheme allows local authorities to buy properties where the tenants are facing eviction because the landlord is selling. It applies to tenants who have received a notice of termination, are deemed at risk of homelessness and who qualify for social housing support such as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). New restrictions were applied to the scheme this year, including a stipulation that the home must be in the HAP or RAS system for at least two years. READ MORE There have also been lengthy delays in the issuing of Government funding to the scheme as Minister for Housing James Browne reviewed its terms. The council's head of housing Mick Mulhern told city councillors at the end of March that no confirmation of its funding allocation had been sent by the Department of Housing . [ Housing Minister James Browne: 'If we don't get this right over the next four to seven months, we're going to be in serious, serious trouble' Opens in new window ] At that point there were 104 applications to the council for access to the scheme. The council spent €117 million on 261 tenant-in-situ and 83 vacant property acquisitions in 2024. However, following an inquiry by Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne last week, the council confirmed in correspondence that 'the tenant-in-situ scheme is no longer operating' and that 'the funding has been withdrawn'. When asked to comment on the remarks, the council said: 'The acquisitions section have confirmed that the 2025 budget for the tenant-in-situ (TiS) scheme has been allocated, and that DCC will not be purchasing any further properties through the TiS scheme until 2026.' Mr Hearne said the decision was 'absolutely unacceptable' and would result in 'families and children being thrown into homelessness'. 'It also goes against the commitment made by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael when they lifted the eviction ban in 2023 that they would provide protections for tenants through a tenant-in-situ scheme, and a supposedly renewed commitment made to the tenant-in-situ scheme this year,' Mr Hearne said. Asked to comment on the correspondence received by Mr Hearne, a spokesman for the council said it had been allocated €95 million for the entire 2025 acquisitions programme. This covers the Buy and Renew Scheme, second-hand acquisitions for elderly people and those with a disability, exits from homelessness and the tenant-in-situ scheme. The council said that of the €95 million allocated for 2025, about €37 million will be used to fund the cost of homes acquired in 2024. [ The homeless university lecturer: 'There's a sense of shame around it' Opens in new window ] A further portion of the €95 million will be used to fund the acquisition of homes that were sale-agreed in 2024, 'but that will only complete in 2025, and a portion will be used to fund the refurbishment costs for works carried out in 2024″, the council said. 'DCC is currently working with the Department of Housing to determine how much of the €95 million will remain once all of the above are accounted for,' the spokesperson said. 'In advance of completing this assessment, DCC is unable to proceed with any new tenant in situ.' The department denied that any funding had been withdrawn, saying: 'The Government is committed to continue tenant-in-situ or second-hand acquisitions as an option for our local authorities.'
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Lord Mayor and Minister for Housing disagree over future funding for scheme to prevent homelessness
Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain has said that she and Minister for Housing James Browne disagreed on the importance of the tenant-in-situ scheme for Dublin city during a meeting to discuss housing and homelessness in the capital. The Lord Mayor met Mr Browne on Wednesday for what was described as a 'constructive meeting' by the Department of Housing. It came following an initial refusal by Mr Browne to meet Ms Blain on the issue, despite her writing to him three times requesting a meeting to discuss funding for the scheme. In a statement issued after the meeting, Mr Browne said that Ms Blain was 'a passionate and articulate advocate for Dublin' and had particularly highlighted the tenant-in-situ scheme. The statement, however, stopped short of saying that additional funding would be made available for the scheme in 2025. READ MORE The scheme has been in operation since 2023 and has helped hundreds of tenants avoid homelessness. Councils have purchased properties at market price with the tenant remaining in place. Dublin City Council spent €117 million on such second-hand acquisitions in 2025. After his appointment as Minister earlier this year, Mr Browne announced he was reviewing the scheme and it has been in abeyance since then. Over 100 tenants at risk of homelessness have been left in uncertainty over whether or not they can remain in their rental homes pending the outcome of the review. In comments after the meeting, Ms Blain indicated that she and the Minister did not see eye-to-eye on the tenant-in-situ scheme. 'I sought a commitment from the Minister that he would seek further funds from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform,' she said. 'Due to changes issued by the Department for the criteria of the scheme, Dublin City Council is still processing 120 applications from last year but are unable to process any new applications for this year. Yet, there are hundreds of people we could prevent from entering homelessness by using this tool.' [ James Browne broke Dáil rules when refusing to release housing data, Ceann Comhairle finds Opens in new window ] In his statement, Mr Browne said he shared the Lord Mayor's concerns that homelessness was a particular problem in the capital. He emphasised, however, that a 'major and urgent increase' of housing supply was essential for the city, across social, affordable and privately-built. He added that support for immediate homelessness prevention and for exits was also required. 'To that end, the Lord Mayor agreed to work with the Department on increasing the level of local authority own-build social housing,' he said. Mr Browne noted that, at present, it accounted for 35 units or 4 per cent of all housing delivery in the Dublin City Council Area. He also referred to the level of vacancy in the city and said Ms Blain had also 'committed to investigating the level of vacancy in the city, as every element that can be looked at should be immediately considered'. The Lord Mayor, who is a Fine Gael councillor, wrote to Mr Browne, a Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford, three times during March and April on behalf of the Council. Its members had agreed to seek a meeting looking for assurances of future funding for the tenant-in-situ scheme. Ms Blain received no reply to the first two letters. After the third letter, an official in Mr Browne's office wrote a one-line email to Ms Blain stating: 'The Minister has acknowledged receipt of this letter. Unfortunately, he is unable to facilitate this meeting request.' Ms Blain wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin about the refusal. Mr Browne subsequently agreed to meet her.
