Councils buy fewer than 370 properties for tenants at risk of homelessness

The County and City Management Association will say that some challenges exist with the scheme, such as local authorities competing with first-time buyers “among others” when a landlord is selling a property. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins

Local authorities have bought — or have become sale agreed for — just under 370 properties for “tenant in-situ" arrangements in the last year, with another 634 in the pipeline, an Oireachtas committee will hear on Tuesday.

Under the tenant in-situ scheme, councils are encouraged to buy homes where the landlord is selling up and the tenant is receiving State housing supports such as the Housing Assistance Payment (Hap).

The scheme has come under fire as just a fraction of targeted 1,500 homes has been delivered to date. Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin has said the scheme is unclear and councils are reluctant to act on it.

The County and City Management Association (CCMA), which represents local authorities, will tell the Oireachtas Housing Committee today that 166 new Hap tenancies are created each week and that the tenant in-situ is one scheme among several being used to provide housing and prevent entry into homelessness.

The CCMA will say that some challenges exist with the scheme, such as local authorities competing with first-time buyers “among others” when a landlord is selling a property.

Another challenge is the “housing of qualified applicants ahead of other qualified households with longer time on the social housing waiting list and/or currently experiencing homelessness”.

Factors considered by local authority for entry on the scheme include the length of time an applicant has qualified for social housing, how long they have been in the tenancy, and the condition of the property.

“Local authorities are acutely aware of the impact of homelessness, including the difficulty in exiting homelessness and the long-term impact of time spent in homelessness,” the CCMA will say, while noting that it cannot control the scale of the exits from the rental sector.

“The sector is prioritising tenant-in-situ acquisitions for households as necessary and required in order to support government policy in addressing homelessness.”