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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 12, 2020

QUESTION NO. 19

QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

To ask the Chief Executive the (a) average time for a family stay in a B&B type accommodation, and (b) the longest time a family is currently in a supported B&B type accommodation.

REPLY:

The average time in hotel or B&B accommodation for households currently in self-accommodate arrangements is approximately 18 months.  Emergency accommodation is provided to households becoming homeless while they look to either source a tenancy through HAP/social housing or progress to a family hub providing greater supports and facilities.  Households that cannot, for various reasons, access any of these options are offered self-accommodate arrangements.

There are currently 66 households from the Council's housing list in self-accommodate arrangements which is a significant reduction in comparative numbers over recent years.  12 of these households have offers of accommodation pending for social housing tenancies.  Of the remaining households, the longest period in hotel/B&B accommodation is 51 months for a household that has a stated preference for accommodation in another local authority area but who remain on this Council's housing list due to their initial housing application being made to this Council and their local connections to the County.

It should also be noted that of the households remaining in self-accommodation arrangements for longer periods, many have had offers of accommodation and/or have challenging circumstances/needs (including the requirement for larger properties, complex needs, tenancy sustainment issues) that create difficulties with making offers of accommodation.  The Council is working with various agencies to progress tenancy sustainment solutions to allow such households to progress to stable tenancies in either HAP or social housing and we are also actively looking at the acquisition of suitable properties.