COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, October 10, 2022
HEADED ITEM NO. 16
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR APPROVED HOUSING BODIES IN 2021 UNDER THE CAPITAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 6, HOUSING MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT, 1992 - FOR APPROVAL
The Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to provide accommodation through construction or acquisition to meet specific categories of housing need, particularly in situations where tenancy supports and low to medium care is required. In many cases, AHBs provide a housing model and a range of on-site supports not normally associated with more mainstream local authority social housing schemes with the eligible categories of housing need under CAS including the following:
- Elderly persons
- Homeless persons (including "care leavers" exiting State care on reaching the age of 18).
- People with a disability, particularly people with a disability moving from a congregated setting into community-based living.
Under Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 it is a reserved function of the Council to approve such assistance and any associated terms and conditions under which that assistance is provided. If approved, funding is then provided by way of a grant to AHBs and is not repayable provided that the accommodation continues to be let to eligible categories of persons and is properly maintained.
At the March 2021 Council Meeting, CAS funding of €10 million was approved by the Council and that funding is now committed for funding of specific construction projects and the acquisition of various properties to meet the housing needs of applicants within the specific categories covered under CAS.
With various potential CAS developments and acquisitions under consideration in the County, to ensure appropriate provision to be made Council's Three-Year Capital Programme 2023-2025, and to allow the Council to be responsive to CAS applications to meet the housing needs of such priority categories of applicants, particularly in the current prevailing housing market conditions, an additional approval in the sum of €7.5 million is now requested from the Council. Properties acquired, constructed, and funded through CAS will continue to be reported to the Housing SPC and Area Committees as part of regular housing delivery updates.
Accordingly, the following Motion is proposed:
"That this Council hereby approves assistance by way of grants up to the total sum of €7.5 million to various Approved Housing Bodies under the Capital Assistance Scheme for the acquisition and/or construction of appropriate housing units in South Dublin County in accordance with the requirements of Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992.”