COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 12, 2011

MOTION NO 1.

MOTION: Councillor C. Jones

MAYOR'S BUSINESS

That the Manager would present a report regarding the provision of social housing for the disabled in the context of the recent review of the letting scheme. That the Manager would also include the feasibility of adaptations in private housing rented by council tenants, for example for the hearing impaired and deaf community.

REPORT:

Housing Applicant/Housing Transferees who receive “Medical Priority” in respect of their application are placed on a housing priority list for suitable accommodation in accordance with the date medical priority is granted. Where the Council’s Medical Officer awards “Urgent Medical Priority” to an application these applicants are housed are placed at the top of the housing list for suitable housing.

Capital funding in respect of the construction of new social housing, including the construction of specific housing for the disabled was discontinued in 2010.  Accordingly, housing applicants who have received “Medical Priority” in respect of their medical/disability to meet their housings needs must be accommodated through existing suitable housing stock that may become available.

A specific team has been put in place to identify such housing.  This team have first call on all new and relet properties to see if they can match the accommodation to the needs of the applicants on hand.    A limited amount of funding has been made available through IWILS/Extensions & DPG’s Funding.  The Council is required to contribute 10% of costs through its internal capital receipts and a portion of this funding has been identified to modified vacant houses prior to allocation.  To date this year this team have housed 33 applicants in suitable homes and removed 7 others for change of circumstances. 

 The Applicant Sourced Home Scheme (ASH) is also available to Housing Applicants but this is not available to applicants seeking a housing transfer. The above team are in contact with all on the list who may be able to avail of the scheme.

The Council is not permited to carry out works on private houses but we do administer a number of grant schemes that may be of assistence for disabled persons who live there.  This year we have paid 117 grants under the Housing Adaptation Grant for people with a disability (HAGS) and 37 under Mobility Aid Grant  (MAGS) as well as 56 under the Housing Aid for Older People (HOPS) schemes.  In addition we have approved 142 grants for our own tenants under the Disabled Persons Grant.

Where a grant is insufficient to cover the cost of the required works the Council undertakes extenstions to exising Council houses where possible.  This year we have commenced 10 such extensions.  Funding for this scheme is dependent on the capital allocation on an annual basis from the DOEHLG.