COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, April 15, 2019

QUESTION NO. 14

QUESTION: Councillor B. Leech

To ask the Chief Executive if a report can be given to the Area Committee following their most recent meeting concerning Tallaght Cross and the issues that were raised about Tuath taking tenants to the RTB for overholding? It was reported in the February full Council Meeting that the Council and Tuath, the Approved Housing Body, meet on a regular basis.

REPLY:

It was agreed between the Council, Tuath and Focus that SDCC would write to all residents of Tallaght Cross setting out the situation with their placement in Tallaght Cross.  All residents should have now received a letter in person from the Council explaining the situation as follows:

Tallaght Cross is “transitional housing” and, legally, tenants cannot have a transitional tenancy with Túath Housing for more than 18 months.  Our policy is to work with our partners in Túath & Focus to find residents  a more secure home to move to from Tallaght Cross.  This also avoids any legal difficulties arising with the transitional tenancy after the 18 month period even though the Council does not support evictions on that basis.

Residents have the following supports to help them move from homelessness:

• Access to Choice Based Letting (CBL): CBL gives applicants the opportunity to express interest in properties available for allocation by the Council;
• Access to the Homeless HAP Scheme to look for a private rented home – residents must  work with their keyworker in Tallaght Cross who will help them look for a suitable home through HAP;  (SDCC may have to look at moving residents to alternative emergency accommodation to provide further intensive keyworker support to help  in their search if residents are not actively seeking HAP tenancies)
•  Further help from the Council’s Place Finder service to search for a private rented home.

When residents get a HAP property, they will:

• continue to have access to Choice Based Letting; and,
• be placed on a HAP transfer list for social housing.

Unfortunately, families staying more than 18 months in Tallaght Cross prevents other families currently living in B&Bs, hotels and hostels from having the opportunity to stay in transitional housing while they work to find a longer-term home.

SDCC are scheduled to meet with Tuath and Focus again later this month.