COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 11, 2022

QUESTION NO. 23

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on Housing Associations to include how many does SDCC deal with, how they are assessed and monitored?

REPLY:

The following eighteen Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are currently operating in this Council's administrative area:

AHB NAME
Tuath Housing Association
Circle Voluntary Housing Association
Cluid Housing Association
Co-operative Housing Association
Clanmil Housing Association
Oaklee Housing Association
Respond Housing Association
Dublin Simon Community
Focus Ireland Housing Association
Fold Housing Association
Arlington Novas Ireland Ltd
HAIL
Peaumont Housing Association
St John of Gods
Sonas
Sophia Housing Association
Iveagh Trust
Peter McVerry Trust

AHBs are selected for potential development opportunities under an agreed protocol from 2016 which covers schemes on Council or state-owned lands, AHB-led schemes and developments with Part V units on AHB owned or acquired lands.  This protocol requires the Council to maintain a panel of AHBs that have expressed an interest in delivering housing at different scales, namely, less than 5 homes, 5 to 20 homes, and greater than 20 homes.  AHBs indicate their capacity and interest in being selected for two development types, Council land and Part V opportunities which are awarded to AHBs through expressions of interest and by rotation respectively.

An independent regulatory body for the AHB sector, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA), was formally established in February 2021.  AHBRA is tasked with providing the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purpose of supporting stronger governance and the financial viability of the AHB sector, with a particular focus on safeguarding the significant public investment being made in the delivery of social housing by AHBs.  AHBRA aims to provide assurances to investors, tenants, the government and to the AHB sector itself that social housing providers operate in a well-regulated and stable environment.  The functions and powers of AHBRA are in accordance with the legal framework set out in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 and include establishing and maintaining a register of AHB's, standards for the sector, compliance within sector, monitoring & assessment of AHB standards, investigation, governance and collection and publishing information on the sector.  More details can be found on their role and strategic objectives on their website www.ahbregulator.ie   

In addition, a Dublin Regional AHB Forum established in 2020, meets quarterly to provide strategic management and engagement between the four Dublin local authorities and all AHBs operating in Dublin along with other stakeholders/respresentatives as necessary.  This forum is currently reviewing the AHB protocol as part of the various working groups established to examine key and strategic issues.

Staff from the Council's Housing Department also meet regularly with AHBs operating in our administrative area to discuss current and potential future developments, existing schemes and related issues as necessary.  The potential for improved AHB engagement with local elected representatives is recognised and, following a recent report to the Housing SPC at its meeting in May 2022, this will be considered further by the Housing SPC and the regional AHB forum.