COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, February 09, 2015
QUESTION NO.10
QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney
To ask the Chief Executive to provide a report on (a) the number of people on the housing list and (b) the provision and acquisition of social housing units by and on behalf of South Dublin County Council, on a year-by-year basis, and to make a statement on the plans to provide social housing units for this year and the years ahead.
REPLY:
From the years the 2008-2014 the number of applicants on the Council Housing List is summarised in the table below:
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Housing List | 6,507 | 8,248 | 9,963 | 10,060 | 10,425 | 7,523 * | 8,564 |
* Housing Needs Assessment carried out
From the period 2008 to 2014 a total of 3,425 social housing units were procured throughout the county under a wide range of schemes.
Details of the number of units and their respective procurement mechanisms for each of the years are listed in the table below.
| Type | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Total |
| Social | 322.00 | 231.00 | 78.00 | 5.00 | 9.00 | - | - | 645.00 |
| Acquisitions through Purchases | 1.00 | - | 2.00 | 21.00 | 6.00 | 10.00 | 1.00 | 41.00 |
| Voluntary | 7.00 | 33.00 | 20.00 | 191.00 | 1.00 | 14.00 | 8.00 | 274.00 |
| Part V | 84.00 | 122.00 | 23.00 | - | - | - | 2.00 | 231.00 |
| Properties procured under lease arrangements | - | - | 19.00 | 110.00 | 40.00 | 106.00 | 123.00 | 398.00 |
| RAS | 273.00 | 304.00 | 321.00 | 202.00 | 226.00 | 237.00 | 211.00 | 1,774.00 |
| Traveller Accommodation | 38.00 | 10.00 | 11.00 | 3.00 | - | - | - | 62.00 |
| Total | 725.00 | 700.00 | 474.00 | 532.00 | 282.00 | 367.00 | 345.00 | 3,425.00 |
2015 AND YEARS AHEAD
Housing Construction Programme:
The Council is near completion of the tender process on 15 Social housing units and hopes to go on site with these projects in the very near future with a completion date in early 2016. The Council has another 57 units awaiting approval from the DECLG, we hope to receive approval shortly and deliver the units by the end of 2016.
The Council also wish to proceed with the Part 8 process for further units and presentations have been made to the Area Committees in relation to the proposed sites of these developments.
The Council hopes to have Part 8 approval for a total in excess of 600 units and submit proposals to the DECLG to access any available funding as quickly as possible.
Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS):
The Council is anticipating notification from the Department of Environment Community and Local Government Local Government of funding for a Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) Programme 2014-2016. Once we receive the notification the Council will invite Approved Housing Bodies to put forward cost effective and sustainable proposals to meet the housing needs for people with specific categories of needs as identified in the latest Housing Needs Assessment. The following are the three priority needs suitable for CAS funding as identified in the latest South Dublin County Council Housing Needs Assessment:
1 Accommodation for Homeless
The available funding will facilitate the advancement of a construction programme and /or the acquisition of built properties where suitable and value for money alternatives exist.
The Council is aiming to deliver 10 units of social housing under this scheme in the first quarter of this year from our 2014 CAS approvals
RAS/Leasing:
From 2015 in line with the National Housing Strategy the Council will continue the procurement of units for the provision of social housing support under the Social Housing Leasing and RAS schemes (whereby we enter into lease arrangements with private property owners and Voluntary Housing Bodies to procure homes to provide for the housing needs of persons on social housing waiting lists).
Acquisition
During 2015, it is intended subject to Department of Environment Community and Local Government funding, to purchase a number of suitable units throughout the county in areas of housing demand. We also intend to use Part 5 mechanism and any subsequent legislation in the in the acquisition of social housing by the Council or Approved Housing Bodies.
Housing Assistance Payment (HAP):
South Dublin County Council was one of seven Local Authorities under Wave 1 that commenced the implementation of HAP in September 2014.
The Council commenced distribution of HAP applications to new Housing applicants presenting since Monday 17th November 2014. As agreed with the Department of Social Protection, SDCC will move to expanding the scheme to other applicants throughout 2015 having regard to the situation pertaining with the Dublin Private Rental Market and also to facilitate the embedding of systems and processes.
Traveller Accommodation:
With regard to planned developments for 2014 and 2015 – As outlined in the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2014 – 2018 (adopted at the Council Meeting in January 2014), the Council plans to deliver new units as per the Programme and redevelop Belgard Road in 2015. It is further intended to redevelop St. Aidan’s, Oldcastle Park and the 3 Bay Emergency site in Lynch's Lane in 2016.