COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, February 09, 2015
QUESTION NO. 14
QUESTION: Councillor K. Mahon
To ask the Chief Executive to provide a report with regard to the allocation of social housing, the remit and the procedures around vetting, the basis on which homes are awarded, how a final decision is reached and the checks and balances within the process that ensure a fair and transparent system?
REPLY:
All allocations are in accordance with the Council’s Allocation Scheme 2011 in accordance with Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2009. The Scheme amongst other matters provides for allocation of dwellings to those on the housing list on a ‘time on list basis’ i.e. date of application.
The Choice Based Letting Scheme manages the allocation process for the majority of applicants on the housing list. A list of those who express interest in each dwelling is automatically compiled, the successful applicant will be the longest on the housing list i.e. Time on List. In certain circumstances adherence to Estate Management Policy may affect the ability of offer to longest on list. All prospective Tenants are sent forward for Garda check on the grounds of good estate management.
A further exception to ‘time on list’ is Priority status. In certain circumstances, priority will be given to applicants that satisfy the following criteria. Priority will be granted in the order shown hereunder and subject to the availability of suitable accommodation at the time:
(i) Families or persons living in dangerous premises on whom a requisition under Section 3 (9) of the Local Government (Sanitary Services)Act, 1964 has been served.
(ii) Displacement (resulting from acts of the Local Authority).
(iii) Families or persons rendered homeless through no fault of their own. A person shall be regarded by a housing authority as being homeless for the purposes of this Act if:
(a) there is no accommodation available which, in the opinion of the authority, he/she, together with any other person who normally resides with him/her or who might reasonably be expected to reside with him/her, can reasonably occupy or remain in occupation of, or
(b) he/she is living in a hospital, County home, night shelter, or other such institution and is so living because he/she has no accommodation of the kind referred to in paragraph (a), and he/she, in the opinion of the authority, unable to provide accommodation from his/her own resources.
(iv) Families or persons evicted through no fault of their own on foot of a Court Order who are not in a financial position to provide their own housing.
(v) Exceptional medical/compassionate grounds.
(vi) Persons aged 65 or over for Older Persons accommodation.
All vacant properties are examined as to their suitability for those awaiting specific accommodation on medical/disability in the first instance and are designated accordingly.
The Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government has just issued the following directive to the Council.
Each housing authority must ensure that at least
50% of the dwellings available for allocation under Section 22 of the 2009 Act during the specified period will be allocated to households that are qualified for social housing support (i.e. those who are on the record of qualified households) and that, on or before 1 December 2014, have been deemed by the authority to have one or more than one of the following needs:
(i) was in an institution, emergency accommodation or a hostel (i.e. a homeless household within the meaning of Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988);
(ii) has an accommodation requirement arising from an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment (i.e. households where one of its members has a disability and as such is deemed to be a vulnerable household); and
(iii) was in accommodation that was unsuitable for the household's adequate housing on exceptional medical or compassionate grounds (i.e. including households the subject of domestic violence and young people leaving State care and as such deemed to be a vulnerable household).
2. Each housing authority should make arrangements for timely and efficient selection of households and offers of accommodation so as to ensure that households are notified and ready to move into dwellings as soon as they become available. These arrangements should seek to avoid inadvertent delays in letting dwellings, and dwellings being left vacant for lengthy period
This Circular is listed under correspondence on the Agenda for todays Council Meeting.