COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, December 12, 2011
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
HOUSING AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING
HELD ON THURSDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER, 2011
PRESENT:
Members: Council Officials:
| Cllr M. Corr | B. Coman | Director of Services |
| Cllr P. Kearns | H. Hogan | Senior Executive Officer |
| Cllr M. Duff | M. Fagan | Senior Executive Officer |
| Cllr G. Kenny | A. Rooney | Senior Staff Officer |
| Cllr T. Gilligan | ||
| Cllr M. McDonagh | ||
| Cllr D. Looney | ||
| Cllr. B. Lawlor | ||
| Cllrs. C. King, and gave his apologies for inability to attend. | ||
| Ben Healy, Environment / Conservation, apologies for non-attendance. | ||
| Tommy Gilson , Community / Voluntary / Disadvantaged apologies | ||
| John Murphy, Agriculture / Farming apologies for non-attendance. | ||
| Betty Tyrrell Collard, Dept Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Trade Union, apologies for non-attendance. |
H-I(1) MINUTES
The minutes of the Housing and Social Development Strategic Policy Committee Meeting held on 12th May, 2011, were proposed by Councillor M. Corr, seconded by Councillor M. Duff, and confirmed and approved as a true record and signed.
H-I(2) MATTERS ARISING
It was NOTED there was no business under this heading.
H-I(3) CHOICE BASED LETTING/APPLICANT SOURCED HOUSING
The following report which had been circulated was NOTED:
Mr. H. Hogan, Senior Executive Officer, gave the presentation.
Mr. Hugh Hogan outlined the pilot programme for offering Council houses to tenants on the Housing List. 650 letters were issued to those interested in the 3 bedroomed list with a marked take up of offers the further down the list applicants were placed.
The new Housing computer system will be linked to the Council’s website and allow applicants to view all the houses available within their criteria. Details of rental on properties and size and description will also appear. Choices can then be made via the new portal and recorded on Technical linked to the new system. The new system should be up and running next month after extensive testing.
The new system will enhance estate management, keep the housing list updated and the usage of new technology will improve efficiencies.
Councillor Kearns asked what the impact would be on staffing levels and work load would be. B. Coman outlined that the changes had come from the staff themselves and complemented the staff of the Housing Department for embracing the changes ahead.
Councillor Corr requested that the wording of the new system be looked at to encourage a more user friendly system for tenants, in relation to language used. H. Hogan responded that this would be looked at.
Following a discussion to which Councillors M. Duff, M. Corr, D. Looney and M. McDonagh contributed, Mr. B. Coman, Mr. H. Hogan and Mr. M. Fagan responded to queries raised.
The report was NOTED and it was proposed to set up a review/advisory group and to invite all Councillors, to meet up on a quarterly basis, to provide feedback.
H-I(4) RENT SUPPLEMENT TRANSFER
The following report which had been circulated was NOTED:
Mr. M. Fagan, Senior Executive Officer, preseented the report:
- The Introduction of Housing Assistance Payments---HAP
The Government have advised of the introduction of a new social housing support namely the Housing Assistance Payment---HAP. It is effectively a version of rent supplement to be administered by housing authorities for those with a long term housing need that they cannot fund from their own resources.
Rent Supplement was originally introduced to be a short term income support for those who normally provide for their housing needs by renting in the private rented sector and who have temporary financial difficulties e.g. short term unemployment. It was originally expected that rent supplement would be paid for 3 - 6 months on average to bridge the client’s temporary financial difficulties.
However since its introduction it has effectively become a parallel social housing option with clients having long term housing need that they are incapable of funding from their own resources living in private rented homes and the state paying most of the rent on their behalf through this subsidy.
There are approximately 6,500 rent supplemented tenancies in South Dublin. Of those on the Councils housing list there are more than half are living in rent supplemented homes.
As a measure to address this, the Rental Accommodation Scheme was introduced in 2004/2005 and the transfer of clients in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more began. If a client has been in receipt of rent supplement for this length of time, it is deemed that they have a long term housing need. The objective of RAS is to transfer those inappropriately on rent supplement---those with a long term housing need that they cannot fund themselves and who are the responsibility of the housing authority-- out of that regime.
The proposed introduction of HAP is the next step to RAS and Social Leasing. It could be described as the transfer of RS to the Local Housing Authority for that cohort of RS recipients and applicants who have a long term housing need rather than a need for a short term income support to bridge a temporary and passing financial difficulty. It is a next step in providing a rational, complimentary and progressive set of social housing supports. It will replace the current less efficient regime where a client who needs housing support by way of a rent supplement must apply to 2 state bodies---the housing authority and then the community welfare service
After the introduction of HAP, Rent Supplement will remain for those in short term financial difficulties who always rented in the private sector--- the original target group for Rent Supplement.
The outcome for the client in the new HAP regime will be the same as the outcome under RS or RAS ---they will, subject to their reaching an agreement with the owner of the property, get to live in a home of their choice in an area of their choice and the state/council will pay their rent. They will pay a differential rent to the housing authority.
As is the case in rent supplement and RAS, the landlord and tenant relationship will be between the housing applicant and the owner who will be responsible for all tenancy management and property maintenance issues. The tenancy will be a private rented tenancy governed by the terms of the Private Residential Tenancies Act and both landlord and tenant will have recourse to the PRTB for the resolution of any disputes.
The Council will pay the rent for the client as the Community Welfare Officer does in RS.
The Council is already implementing a version of HAP through its ASH pilot project.
HAP will be a social housing support and, as with RAS, anyone getting a home under HAP will be considered housed and their housing application will be closed.
Transfers between the various streams of social housing support—council houses, leased houses, RAS houses, Voluntary houses and HAP will be facilitated i.e. ultimately we will facilitate transfers between all types of social housing/social housing support regimes.
Considered advantages of the proposed new regime are:
It will deliver social homes to our applicants;
It provides the opportunity to procure social homes at monthly rents which are lower than RS rents;
It will drive tenancy registration, tax compliance and improved standards in the private rented sector as full compliance on all of these issues will be a precondition for a property owner participating in the scheme;
It places the one social housing stream over which local housing authorities currently have little control with the housing authority;
It will return RS to its original purpose – short term support
It will eliminate the poverty trap that exists for those currently on RS as those on HAP will be allowed to work without any effect on their Housing Assistance Payment other than an increase in their Differential rent.
It will provide more security of tenure to the tenant within the new regime.
A number of very serious issues remain to be addressed and resolved before HAP can be implemented in the areas of housing policy, work processes and staff resources, financial structures and IT.
To address these, three high level working groups have been set up to guide the implementation of HAP covering the areas of Finance, IT and transition.
It is expected that HAP will be rolled out over a number of years on a phased basis.
Members will be informed regularly of developments in the HAP process as progress is made.
Following contributions from Councillors M. Corr, P. Kearns, G. Kelly, and D. Looney, Mr. Michael Fagan, Senior Executive Officer, and Mr. B. Coman, Director of Housing and Community, responded to queries raised.
The report was NOTED.
H-I (5) HALLOWEEN UPDATE:
Mr. B. Coman presented report on forthcoming Halloween events being organised and /or supported by the Council
H-I (6) ANY OTHER BUSINESS – HOUSING ASSESSMENT OF NEED 2011:
The following report which had been circulated was NOTED:
Mr. Billy Coman, Director of Housing & Community, gave a presentation.
Mr. Billy Coman summarised the Housing Assessment of Need 2011.
The methodology in collecting data differs substantially from that used in previous years. The 2008 and 20011 figures are not strictly comparable. The total housing need nationally is 98,318. The net figure for SDCC is 8,022. There has been a 75% increase in those on the Housing List for a number of reasons mainly the recession and also rent supplement regulations. 49% of those n the Housing List are single persons, with 68% under the age of 40. 86% of persons waiting on SDCC housing list earn less than €20,000. The statistics from South Dublin County Council’s current Housing needs assessment is as follows:-
· Net 8,022 on Housing List
· 1,317 are Lone Parents
· 85 couples with 5 or more children
· 396 couples, no children
· 26% waiting more than 4 years or more
· 190 on waiting list for 7 years or more
· 56% are Irish citizens (the balance is 24%, EU, 20%, non EU citizens
B. Coman said that the transfer of rent supplement will allow the private rental market to become a real housing option.
B. Coman confirmed that South Dublin County Council’s Housing Department is well placed to roll out new initiatives.
Following a discussion to which P. Kearns, G. Kelly, M. Duff and M. Corr contributed, Mr. Billy Coman and Mr. H Hogan responded to queries raised.
The meeting concluded at 7 pm.
Siniú: M. Corr Dáta: 10/11/2011
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