COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 14, 2011

MOTION NO 3

MOTION: Councillor C. Jones

That the Manager will give a report on the progress of the Social Housing Leasing Scheme within the County.

REPORT:

The roll out and active promotion in South Dublin of the Social Housing Leasing Initiative in accordance with Department of the Environment Heritage & Local Government circulars N3/07 and SHIP 2010.07 commenced in June 2010 following the adoption of the Croke Park Agreement.

An Information Booklet (pdf document) outlining the opportunity  for property owners for making properties available to a local authority under the initiative was published and advertised by the Housing & Sustainable Communities Agency. A national newspaper advertisement promoting the scheme was carried out in August 2010. More recently the scheme was advertised on www.irishlandlord.com

The scheme is also advertised on the Council’s website together with an outline FAQ.

To date the Council has received expressions of interest from property owners across a range of property types throughout the county for in excess of 360 properties of which over 200 have been made available by the owners for Council inspection for compliance with leasing standards.

These properties are now at various stages of assessment and inspection for suitability for inclusion in the leasing scheme. Lease agreements have been formalised in the case of 25 properties and they have been made available for tenanting.

In support and as a driver to the leasing initiative in South Dublin, Department of the Environment Heritage & Local Government approval was received to operate the ASH (Applicant Sourced Homes) programme on a pilot basis. This represents an exciting new opportunity for housing applicants to source their own home which, subject to suitability of the property and reaching agreement with the property owner, will be leased by the Council. The ASH programme  is being offered  to persons on the housing list on an incremental basis. The Council has now issued 500 letters to persons on the housing giving full information on the ASH programme of which to date responses have been received from 65 housing applicants. According as the  ASH  programme is rolled out  it is anticipated that the leasing initiative will gather momentum as a source of social housing provision for housing applicants as the availability of standard Council owned properties declines.