The Fresh Start principle forms a key element in the Government’s housing policy and is applied across a number of schemes of my Department that support buying a home.
The Fresh Start principle, as defined in Section 10 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, allows certain purchasers to be treated as First Time Buyers and be eligible to apply for the purchase of an affordable home. In order to be eligible under the Fresh Start principle, under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (as amended), one of the following provisions must be met:
• A person has been divorced, legally separated or their civil partnership or relationship has ended, and they are no longer living in and have no financial interest in the previous family home.
• A person has been divested of a home through personal insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
• A person previously owned, was beneficially entitled to, or had an interest in a dwelling in the State and that this dwelling, because of its size, is not suited to the current accommodation needs of their household, that person is still eligible to apply if they own or are beneficially entitled to an estate or interest in the dwelling at the time at which they apply for an affordable dwelling.
The Schemes supported by my Department are kept under ongoing review. However, there are no plans at present to expand the Fresh Start definition.
