I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together.
It is understood that housing needs and personal circumstances can change over time. Where a household's circumstances have changed significantly since entering a Cost Rental tenancy, tenants should engage with their Local Authority to explore housing supports available and options that may be better suited to their current needs.
These options could include, for example, the Housing Assistance Payment in cases where disability had led to a loss of income and difficulty affording the cost-covering rent. It could also include applying for social housing support with medical priority on the basis of their disability, subject to the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. In some scenarios, a Cost Rental tenancy may no longer be the most appropriate housing solution for an individual.
While Cost Rental homes may be provided by Approved Housing Bodies, Local Authorities, or the Land Development Agency, the Cost Rental model is distinct from the provision of social housing. Cost Rental tenancies are generally intended to operate in a manner similar to standard residential tenancies, and are therefore subject to the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the jurisdiction of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
Supports available through Local Authorities include the means-tested Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People. This is a grant for the carrying out of adaptation works that, in the opinion of the Local Authority, are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for a member of the household who has an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. In general, these grant schemes can be used for works such as level access showers, accessible bathrooms, access ramps, stair lifts, fixed track hoists, or extensions.
As with other residential tenancies, there is not an obligation on a Cost Rental landlord to provide a dwelling that has been specifically adapted to meet the changed needs of a person with a disability. Any adaptations to a property are ordinarily a matter to be agreed between the tenant and the landlord, with the landlord's consent required for works to be carried out. In practice, Cost Rental landlords may seek to accommodate such requests where reasonably possible, having regard to the circumstances of the tenancy and the property concerned.
Where a Cost Rental tenant wishes to purchase a home more suitable to their needs, they can benefit from the range of Starter Home purchase supports: Help to Buy, the Starter Home Purchase Scheme, and the First Home Scheme. Information is available online at www.gov.ie/starterhomesupports. A number of these schemes can be combined, thereby providing additional affordability support.
