COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

HEADED ITEM NO. 4

The Housing Construction and Procurement Report

Housing Construction

Schemes on Site

Taylors Lane

7 x 3 bedroom, 2 x 4 bedroom 2.5 storey houses - 9 Units

Work commenced July 2011.  Anticipated duration of contract is 50 working weeks.

Pearse Brothers Park/Palmer Park (22 existing units)

Tender recommendation for energy upgrade and refurbishment of apartments submitted to the DOEHLG for approval.  It is intended that works will commence on site in 1st Quarter 2012.

Social Housing Leasing Initiative

The rollout of the social housing leasing scheme as a mechanism in the provision of housing for persons on the social housing waiting list commenced in mid 2010.

Lease agreements on privately owned properties have been agreed county wide for 135 properties as at 1/3/12 and the properties have been tenanted, 6 of these properties are in the Terenure/Rathfarnham electoral area. A further 31 cases are currently in process of which 2 are in the Ternure/Rathfarnham electoral area.  

Rental Accommodation Scheme

29th February 2012.

1,456  Rent Supplement recipients have  transferred to the Rental Accommodation Scheme since the council started implementing the scheme in 2005 .  A combination of transfers was involved however the majority transferred in their existing accommodation.  The remainder was transferred to the scheme in alternative accommodation for a variety of reasons including inappropriate sized property (underaccommodated/overaccommodated) and their landlord  being unwilling to take part in the scheme.   Vacant properties were contracted into the scheme to facilitate this category of transfer.

Since their transfer to the scheme some tenants have moved again for a variety of reasons including  moving to alternative accommodation, moving abroad, moving to another county, purchasing their own property. 

At the end of Febuary 1,217 families were living in RAS homes in the county.  Thirty one of these families are living in the Terenure/Rathfarnham area.

As part of the rollout of  the RAS and the Social Housing Leasing Initiative the management of the inspections regime for compliance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations was homed in the Procurement Unit and all homes taken into social use are inspected for full compliance with these standards. 4,400 private rented properties have been inspected so far since the commencement of RAS in 2005.