Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 September 2024
74. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a step-by-step explanation of how the Housing Agency’s cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme operates, particularly in relation to the independent valuation; if the Housing Agency has its own valuators; the limit that the Housing Agency can bid; and if a percentage tolerance is built into the Housing Agency’s calculations. [36758/24]
View answer96. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the calculation of the acquisition cost guidelines for the Dublin City Council area in relation to the cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme; and if he will provide practical examples. [36779/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 96 together.
The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property.
The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this scheme and refers potential cases to the Housing Agency, which is currently responsible for administering and managing the scheme on behalf of my Department.
Before making an offer, the Housing Agency considers whether the overall capital cost of the property is within the Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) issued by my Department for each Local Authority area and whether necessary repairs and upgrades can be safely completed with tenants in situ. These ACGs are updated by my Department on an annual basis and provide cost guidelines for the acquisition by housing authorities, including for Dublin City Council, of second hand properties for the provision of social housing. The same ACGs are used by the Housing Agency for the acquisition of homes under the CRTiS scheme.
Finally, the Housing Agency makes an offer to the vendor based on the independent market valuation obtained.
My Department does not have any direct involvement in the assessment of individual CRTiS applications but I will arrange to share a copy of the most recent ACGs with the Deputy.
