Under a new government scheme, housing associations and local authorities will combine to make unsold properties available to those on housing waiting lists.
On Monday 1st February Minister for Housing Michael Finneran will speak at an event in The Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise organised by Clúid Housing Association to celebrate the Government’s new social housing leasing initiative scheme. This innovative scheme allows local authorities and approved housing bodies, such as housing associations, to provide properties for social housing through leasing agreements. The scheme is supported by the Department of the Environment and will provide much needed homes to some of the estimated 56,000 on local authority housing waiting lists.
The new initiative represents an expansion of the options available to local authorities for the delivery of social housing. This is particularly important at a time when the state has limited money for building new social housing.
In the economic downturn there is no longer a market for affordable homes that many local authorities purchased from developers under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2002.
This new initiative allows the local authorities to house people in need of housing in unsold affordable homes, by leasing the homes to housing associations for a period of 5 years. In order for properties to be considered they must be in an area of demonstrated housing need.
The Clúid event includes a visit to unsold affordable homes that Cluid have leased from Laois County Council under the new initiative. As the market for affordable homes has virtually collapsed, these homes would otherwise be lying vacant.
To date, the Clúid and Laois County Council partnership encompasses 58 unsold affordable homes in Borris in Ossory, Mountrath, Portarlington, and Portlaoise. Clúid are providing a full management and maintenance service to tenants, who – as with all local authority and Clúid tenants - will be charged an affordable rent.
If the housing market has recovered at the end of the lease period, the properties can once more be put on the market as affordable housing. Current tenants who do not want, or cannot afford to purchase them, will be re-housed by the local authority.
If the housing market has not recovered at the end of the lease period, the lease can be extended for another 5 years.
Clúid currently provides over 4,000 homes nationwide. Clúid believes that good housing provides the platform for social progress, and our vision is to serve communities by building and managing quality homes.
If you would like to attend this event please RSVP to Pamela Southern at psouthern@cluid.ie