COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 12, 2015

HEADED ITEM NO. 12

HEADED ITEM: Housing Social and Community Development

SOCIAL HOUSING STRATEGY 2020

REPORT:

Social Housing Strategy 2020: Support, Supply and Reform

The Strategy was launched by the Minister for the Environment Community and Local Government on the 26th November 2014 and commits nationally to;

The Strategy provides the basis for an enhanced approach to social housing provision and contains actions to be taken to increase supply. The Strategy is founded on a three Pillar approach with a total of 37 identified actions:

Pillar 1: Provision of New Social Housing Supply.

Pillar 2: Providing Housing Supports through the Private Rental Sector.

Pillar 3: Reform Creating More Flexible and Responsive Social Housing Supports in Ireland.

The first two Pillars will address the immediate supply shortage while Pillar 3 includes a range of actions to ensure that social housing supports are responsive to people’s current needs as well as to changes in their circumstances.

The Strategy is based on a multi-annual approach to delivery over two phases, with an additional cost to the Exchequer over the 6 years at an estimated €3.8bn. It will signal a movement towards ‘Off Balance Sheet Delivery Mechanisms’ based on greater use of and access to private finance.

Phase 1: Target of 18,000 additional housing units and 32,000 HAP/RAS units by end of 2017.

Phase 2: Target of 17,000 additional housing units and 43,000 HAP/RAS units by end of 2020.

Effectively the Strategy envisages meeting the housing needs of 110,000 households over 6 years from 2015-2020 consisting of 35,000 new social housing units over 6 years (build, buy, refurbishment) and 75,000 households transferred from rent supplement onto HAP and RAS.

The Strategy further recognises the need for transition mechanisms to help people move on from social housing as their circumstances improve. It will continue to facilitate the greater use of mixed tenure developments, as well as emphasising the Government’s commitment to the key principle of developing sustainable communities. The Strategy will facilitate greater use of mixed tenure developments with social rental, affordable rental and private rental being provided side by side

The Strategy also sets out Detailed Governance and programme management arrangementsare provided for in the Strategy, including – 

The Strategy also contains an Action Plan with detailed objectives and timelines. Key among these actions are commitments that the Project Board and the Dublin Social Housing Delivery Taskforce will agree targets with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies for delivery of social housing in 2015 and initiate work on targets for subsequent years.

In terms of the reform agenda the Strategy in line with the 3rd Pillar provides for:

In terms of the County the estimated private sector provision to 2020 is as follows:

2015 1500
2016 1500
2017 3000
2018 3000
2020 3000
2020 3000

The Council has a current Land Availability (including Brownfield sites) with an approximate area of serviced land of approximately 28 hectares.

The Councils landbank forms a strategic resource for the local Authority to secure appropriate development in the County in three ways :

 The Strategy also references the possibility of establishing and Approved Housing Body by a local authority or among local authorities, for example in the Dublin or Greater Dublin area, being explored.

At the meeting of the O & P & F Committee on 23rd October 2014 a report was presented proposing that, as part of the council’s response to the housing situation in the Dublin region, five residential development sites be placed on the market. At the meeting it was agreed:

  1. Clondalkin - site to be placed on the market with a brief for 2 dwellings c 70-90 square metres. Brief to stipulate that the council will, given the size and location of the site, expect that the preferred bidder will engage in local consultation at pre-planning stage.
  1. Kingswood Castle - proceed to the market with brief.
  1. Manor Road - bring to the market with brief for Valhalla - type development.
  1. Nangor Road - review for potential SDCC / AHB (Approved Housing Body) development.
  1. Ballycullen Road - proceed to market with brief.
    An extensive investigation of the yield and feasibility of a wide range of housing sites across the county is being finalised. This will may cover a range of options envisaged by the plan and not just traditional housing models (terrace / semi-detached) but possibly more complex mixtures of typology to respond to build-to-rent demands, off-balance sheet investment models and changing demographic demand patterns over the next two / three years.Off-balance sheet mechanisms will be used to maximise financial opportunities and leverage other assets available to the State including land.Under the Strategy’s Governance structure, a dedicated work stream will be established from within DECLG/DPER/Dept. Finance and the Housing Finance Agency to progress specific off-balance sheet mechanisms: expansion of the NAMA SPV, a large scale PPP and a new financial vehicle. Such options will be considered through the Governance structure under the Strategy including advice and recommendations of the relevant Work streams to be set up. 

It is proposed to hold separate meetings at Area Committee level for the members to outline the findings of the investigation and consider possible proposals by the end of January 2015.

There are 14 units progressed to construction stage with expected delivery in 2015 and a further 260 units with the Department for approval having gone through the Part 8 process. There are also 56 housing units acquisitions being processed currently and at various stages for delivery during 2015.

The Council began the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) scheme as part of the Wave 1 group of Local Authorities in November 2014 and as advised to the members it is for new applicants only in the first instance.

HAP nationally is designed to bring together all the social housing services provided by the State and, alongside the existing RAS is anticipated to will have scope nationally to provide accommodation for up to 75,000 households. South Dublin County currently has 1,300 RAS agreements in place.HAP has amongst its objectives the removal of a potential barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment; provision of a better integrated and more streamlined service; and better regulation of the private rented sector.

Social Housing Strategy - Governance

SHS Oversight Group –

Chair – Minister

D/ECLG

SHS – Project Board      

Dublin Social Housing Delivery Task Force            

Wave Stream 1

Finance

Wave Stream 2

Approved

Housing Body

Delivery and

Operations

Wave Stream 3

Local Authority

Housing

Delivery and

Operations

Wave Stream 4

Social Housing

Reform

Wave Stream 5

Private Rental