COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 11, 2019

MOTION NO. 9

MOTION: Councillor M. Johansson (Item Id 61748)

This Council notes that:

As of December 2018 there were 7151 on the South Dublin County Council housing list.

A Dáil motion passed through the Dáil on October 3rd setting out a new direction for housing policy

The proposals in this motion were not incorporated into Budget 2019

Important proposals to address the Housing Emergency have been put forward by a wide variety of groups including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the National Housing and Homeless Coalition and Raise the Roof

Rebuilding Ireland is not working and a new approach to housing is required to meet the needs of all those locked out of the private market including young people, those on modest incomes (but do not qualify for local authority homes), those on low pensions, those on Council waiting lists, workers, women with children, travellers, people with disabilities, older people and students

This Council calls on Government to:

1. Declare the housing and homeless crisis an emergency
2. Dramatically increases the supply of local authority led public and affordable housing (including cost rental), by increasing capital spending on housing to €2.3bn; increase Part V requirements to 20% in standard developments & 30% in Strategic Development Zones; prioritise the delivery of public housing on public land; and aggressively target the return of vacant houses to active use
3. Reduce the flow of adults and children into homelessness with emergency legislation to make it illegal for landlords, banks and investment funds to evict tenants and homeowners in mortgage distress into homelessness; provide real security of tenure and real rent certainty by linking rent reviews to an index such as the CPI and introducing measures to reduce the cost of rent; introduce a target for ending long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough
4. Establish a legal Right to Housing

REPORT:

This Council achieved 115% of our 2018 social housing delivery target under Rebuilding Ireland with 1,787 additional households supported in the County through the various housing programmes in 2018, with 593 homes added to social housing stock (475 of which were new builds) and 1,194 additional households were supported through HAP/Homeless HAP and RAS.

The Housing Department also has an active delivery programme for 2019 with current projected delivery of 444 new social homes to be provided under Build, Acquisition and Leasing programmes by the Council, Approved Housing Bodies and under Part V as well as ongoing examination of opportunities for further housing delivery where possible.  In addition, the provision of social housing through RAS and HAP schemes will continue to be a key part of social housing supply in 2019.  Guidance on the pending Affordable Housing Scheme is also awaited from DHPLG and this will inform local delivery of Affordbale Housing in the County. 

Plans and projects for further housing delivery in the current housing policy context beyond 2019 include:

• Construction of the 205 social homes approved under Part 8;
• Progress plans for a further 283 social homes currently at pre-planning stage;
• Commencement of the PPP site at Corkagh Grange to deliver 109 social homes in 2020;
• Delivery of the Kilcarbery joint venture project for 975 homes of which 30% are for social housing;
• Completing master-planning and progressing next steps for social, affordable and other housing tenure delivery at large sites at Clonburris SDZ, Belgard Square North, Rathcoole and Killinarden;
• Ongoing planning and partnership with Approved Housing Bodies Sector for additional housing developments;
• Negotiated Part V delivery based on planning permissions in the County;
• Exploration of all possible leasing opportunities.

However, it is recognised that social housing supports do not provide for all applicants on the social housing list at present and some applicants are unfortunately homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Council’s homeless unit offer advice, information, sign-posting to services and emergency/temporary accommodation options to all applicants who find themselves homeless. Our outreach support service links with other support services, other agencies and accommodation options to assist those who are rough sleeping. In addition, the Council’s dedicated placement officers work with families and individuals to assist them o source private rented accommodation. These services aim to prevent applicants entering homelessness or exiting emergency accommodation as soon as possible. The Council is also examining additional options to provide supported temporary accommodation in the County to those persons finding themselves homeless.

At mid-February, there were 7,215 applications on the Council's social housing waiting list.

If the Motion is passed, correspondence will issue as appropriate to relevant Government Departments.