COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF HOUSING SPC

Thursday, February 08, 2024

HEADED ITEM NO. 8 

HEADED ITEM: H. Administration 

H-I (7) -

Reports for Noting:

(i) Tenant Purchase Scheme 

Tenants can apply to the Council to purchase their Local Authority home through the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016.  Changes on foot of the Housing (sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and most recent Reckonable Income Directions under Section 24 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 came into effect on 29th of January 2024.    

These changes include –

• Minimum income requirements:
  The minimum income required for an applicant to be eligible to apply under the scheme is now €11,000 per annum.
• Time receiving social housing supports:
  The period of time tenants will be required to be in receipt of social housing support to be considered eligible under the scheme remains at 10 years. However, in the case of joint tenancies only one tenant is now required to have been in receipt of social housing supports for 10 years.
• Primary Sources of Income:
  In addition to the State Pension (Contributory and Non-Contributory) being considered as a primary source of income, the Widow’s, Widower’s, Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory and Non-Contributory Pension), Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and Disability Allowance are now also considered primary sources of income.
• Secondary Sources of Income, i.e. income that can be included to make up the income of €11,000 for the purpose of eligibility for the scheme now includes Working Family Payment, Age 80 (Pension) increase, and the Rural Social Scheme.
• Income disregards: The following payments are now included in the list of income disregards:
  
  Constant Attendance Allowance,
  Household Benefits Package (including Electricity and Gas Allowance),
  Telephone Allowance,
  Increase for living on a Specified Island,
  Payments under Medical Care Scheme,
  Disablement Benefit,
  Training Support Grant,
  Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance,
  Humanitarian Assistance Scheme,
  Funeral Grant,
  Community Service Programme,
  Work Placement Experience Programme,
  Payments in respect of education or training courses,
  Mobility Allowance, and
  Income earned by children.

Information regarding the changes have been made available on the Council’s website www.sdcc.ie and will be publicised on social media channels. Tenants who have previously applied to purchase their homes and were deemed ineligible will be contacted to advise of the changes to the Scheme to allow them to re-apply under the new regulations. 

To secure a stock of social housing for future generations and to retain the tenure mix in newly built developments and enhance good estate management, it is now proposed that newly built dwellings are included on the list of exclusions under the Scheme. This will ensure the continued availability of mixed tenure developments so that social housing tenants have security of tenure and can remain within their community.  

Full information on the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 is available on the Councils website www.sdcc.ie and the sales scheme team are available to assist and can be contacted at hloanacc@sdublincoco.ie.