COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 11, 2022

QUESTION NO. 24

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a full report into how a scheme for people wanting to step down from their housing and sell their house to SDCC will work, and when its hoped to have such a scheme?

REPLY:

The Council adopted a Policy for Rightsizing and Allocation of Age Friendly Accommodation in December 2020.  This policy specifically recognises the potential for rightsizing to age friendly housing amongst older persons that own private homes in communities and provides for applications from older persons in their privately owned accommodation who wish to move to Council owned, or supported designated age friendly accommodation, to be considered for inclusion on the associated Community List, with up to 10% of new age friendly housing developments are reserved for Community List applicants.  The following criteria applies for applicants seeking inclusion on the community list:

• The applicant(s) must be resident in South Dublin County, or demonstrate a local connection, and be eligible for older person’s accommodation
• The applicant agrees to the Council purchasing their property directly or, at the sole discretion of the Council, provides a financial contribution in lieu, from the net proceeds of the private sale of the property.
• The relevant property for sale, if being acquired by the Council, must be: located in South Dublin County, suitable to meet existing housing need and will be subject to acquisition limits as determined by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
• At certain times within the Council’s sole discretion, the Council may refuse to accept further Community List applications including where current demand exceeds by 100% or more the potential supply scheduled to become available within the next 12 months.
• Applicants will be included on the Community List upon the date of completion of a formal written agreement for the Council to purchase their property or the applicant to provide a financial contribution to the Council from the net proceeds of the private sale of their property.
• Applicant(s) shall only be eligible for the allocation of one age friendly home and may be required to complete a pre-tenancy course before any allocation.
• Refusal of two offers of accommodation will result in cancellation of an application.
• Applicants will be required to become tenants of South Dublin County Council (or an Approved Housing Body) upon allocation of an age friendly home and will be required to sign a tenancy agreement and pay differential rent accordingly.

The relevant discount on purchase to the Council or financial contribution to the Council for inclusion on the Community List is as follows:

Age Category	Discount to Council on Purchase	Financial Contribution to the Council on Sale
55-64 years	40% discount on the market value	1/2 of net proceeds of sale
65-69 years	1/3 of net proceeds of sale
70-79 years	30% discount on the market value	1/4 of net proceeds of sale
80 years and over	1/5 of net proceeds of sale

Potential purchases of private homes by the Council are subject to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage acquisition cost ceilings and approvals. 

Any private home owner who wishes to discuss rightsizing opportunities or find out more about planned age friendly housing developments, can contact the Council's Healthy Age Friendly Healthy Homes Officer to explore potential suitability and options.