housing

This report presents a review of the role of social workers and other personnel employed by local authorities specifically to assist Travellers with their accommodation needs.

It was commissioned by The Housing Agency on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

This publication was written by Michelle Norris, Angela Palmer, Joanne Kelleher and Jim Campbell, School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin.

The report can be read here.

Since the mid-1960s, local authorities have employed social workers to support Travellers in meeting their accommodation needs. Since then, the nature and scale of the demands on local authority housing departments have changed and local authorities have taken on new housing responsibilities.

This report found continuing levels of  accommodation need among this community and makes a number of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of this service in the context of the wider local authority housing service. This includes the implementation of the recommendations of the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review 2019.

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Housing Agency, the Minister of State or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Housing Agency has welcomed the publication of the Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) 2020, which has recorded a fall in the number of households in Ireland on a waiting list for social housing.

Prepared by The Housing Agency using local authority data, key findings of the SSHA 2020 include:

• The number of households with an unmet social housing need fell by 10% in 2020, to 61,880.
• 25 of 31 local authorities recorded fewer households on their lists than in 2019. An additional 354 households were identified across the six local authorities where the number with an unmet need for social housing had increased.
• More than four-in-ten households with an unmet social housing need live in the four Dublin local authorities.
• The majority of unmet need is in small households: single adult households account for over half of those with an unmet need for social housing (52%), while nearly a quarter are lone parent households (24%).
• The number of households waiting longer is falling; the share of households waiting for more than four years fell by almost four percentage points (from 48.7% to 44.8%). Conversely, the share of households waiting for fewer than two years increased by 1.6 percentage points (from 33.8% to 35.4%).
   

Commenting on the publication, Chief Executive Officer of The Housing Agency John O’Connor said: “Since The Housing Agency took on the role of preparing annual summaries of social housing assessments, we have been pleased to see a fall in the number of people with unmet social housing needs in Ireland. This assessment shows that the number of households qualified for social housing support decreased by one-third (29,720 households) compared to the assessment conducted in September 2016.

“While there are welcomed findings, it is important to note that there is more work to be done to meet the housing needs of people in Ireland. For example, single adult and lone parent households continue to make up the vast majority of those on a social housing waiting list. The Housing Agency is committed to work with our partners in central Government, local authorities, approved housing bodies and across the housing sector to see the overall numbers of those on waiting lists continue to fall in coming years.”

The SSHA 2020 report can be read here. 

About the SSHA 2020

Local authorities have been conducting annualised assessments of social housing need since 2016. The count is carried out under Section 21 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment (Summary) Regulations 2016.

The Summary of Social Housing Assessment (SSHA) reports the ‘net need’ for social housing i.e. the total number of households who are qualified for social housing but whose social housing needs are not being met. The point-in-time assessment is generally undertaken by local authorities in June; the 2020 count was delayed until November as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Housing Agency supports the process of gathering and analysing the data, and prepares a national summary report which is presented to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Produced by The Housing Agency using local authority data, the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) brings together information provided by local authorities on households that are qualified for social housing support but whose social housing need is not currently being met. It is a point-in-time assessment of the identified need for social housing support across the country.

The SSHA 2020 report can be read here.

Among the key findings of SSHA 2020 are:

• The number of households with an unmet social housing need fell by 10% in 2020, to 61,880.
• 25 of 31 local authorities recorded fewer households on their lists than in 2019. An additional 354 households were identified across the six local authorities where the number with an unmet need for social housing had increased.
• More than four-in-ten households with an unmet social housing need live in the four Dublin local authorities.
• The majority of unmet need is in small households: single adult households account for over half of those with an unmet need for social housing (52%), while nearly a quarter are lone parent households (24%).
• The number of households waiting longer is falling; the share of households waiting for more than four years fell by almost four percentage points (from 48.7% to 44.8%). Conversely, the share of households waiting for fewer than two years increased by 1.6 percentage points (from 33.8% to 35.4%).

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has given approval in principle for Ireland’s first Cost Rental Homes, delivering on a key commitment in the Programme for Government, under Housing for All.

It is intended that the Housing Agency will manage and administer the Scheme on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Housing Agency will oversee the administration of the loan arrangements including the drafting of the Agreement for the Cost Rental Equity Loan (“CREL”) and will manage the due diligence on each proposal up until the signing of the CREL Loan.

In Budget 2021, €35 million was made available to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to deliver approximately 350 cost rental homes in 2021 at rates which are a minimum 25% below open market values. An additional 50 cost rental homes at Enniskerry Road, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown are also due to be completed this year supported by the Department’s Serviced Sites Fund.

Following a competitive assessment process, approval has been given to three AHBs, Clúid, Respond and Tuath, for a total of 390 cost rental homes. These developments are spread across Dublin, the GDA and Cork, with precise locations to be published on completion of commercial and contractual arrangements.  Subject to the application, the Housing Finance Agency has also made financing of up to €100m available to support schemes approved under this measure.

Minister O’Brien commented: “Shortly before Christmas I put out a call to our AHBs asking them to submit proposals for Cost Rental homes. They responded enthusiastically and the standard of the proposals received is extremely high. I believe this is really encouraging for the future expansion of the scheme.

“Cost Rental is a new form of tenure in Ireland where tenants will pay rent that covers the costs of delivering, managing, and maintaining the homes only. Through the Affordable Housing Bill 2020, Cost Rental will be placed on a statutory footing and the conditions and operational matters for cost rental are being finalised as part of this process.

“The collective experience in bringing on stream these first cost rental homes in the State will be used to inform the ongoing policy development process. This will support the wider roll out of the model across local authorities, the Land Development Agency and Approved Housing Bodies.

“These homes will be made available to middle income households with a reduction of at least 25% on open market rental values.  It is my firm commitment that we build on this new scheme and expand it further so that many more tenants live securely in cost rental homes,” he concluded.

The Housing Agency recently presented a webinar of international experts delivering insights into the regulation and management of apartments and multi-unit developments. 

With apartment living on the rise, this recording will be of interest to a wide audience including housing practitioners, professionals, regulators and officials, scholars, and providers.

Speakers explored innovations and trends affecting apartment/condominium living in their countries, and what the future may hold. The implications of the pandemic for apartment living will be considered.

All information correct as of broadcast date. The views expressed in the recording below do not necessarily represent the views of The Housing Agency. Broadcast date: 15 December 2020. Click below to watch:

This webinar featured contributions from the following international speakers, followed by roundtable/Q&A

This report features case studies from Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark into innovations in design and construction of social, affordable and co-operative housing in Europe.

The report can be read here.

The Housing Agency and the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) jointly hosted a lunchtime webinar on the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants in managed residential estates, such as apartment developments.

David Rouse, advisor with The Housing Agency, discussed legal relationships in managed estates, and the relevance of the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 to landlords and tenants. Emer Morrissey, Assistant Director, Head of Dispute Resolution at the RTB, addressed rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants and dispute resolution in the context of managed estates.

The views expressed by the speakers in this video are not necessarily those of The Housing Agency. All information correct as of broadcast date: 3 November 2020.

Ireland shares many housing challenges with other developed economies, for example, providing the right housing in the right places, addressing affordability and ensuring that our housing stock contributes to sustainability - both sustainable communities and environmental sustainability.

Delivered in a virtual format, The Housing Agency's Housing Conference 2020 will explore these challenges in themed mid-morning sessions over the course of a week. Each session will provide expert input, followed by questions and discussion.

The final session will provide an opportunity for housing practitioners to network and learn about opportunities to further their professional skills and career development.

Participation in each webinar is free, but advance registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Download the Housing Conference 2020 Agenda

To register for each webinar please click one of the links below:

All times above are Irish Standard Time

Please note that these sessions may be recorded for future use.
 

The Housing Agency's vision is to promote sustainable communities.

Recently The Housing Agency hosted 'Building Sustainable Communities: National & International Perspectives', a series of webinars that considered some of the key elements of future resilient and sustainable communities. Many thanks to our expert speakers for contributing to the series.

Aligning the provision of housing with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing, The European Green Deal, and the National Climate Action Plan 2019 is a response to ensure that housing will be put on a more resilient and sustainable path.

The positive impact of housing and communities; economic effectiveness; inclusion and participation; and cultural adequacy (Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing). The Autumn webinar series built on topics discussed in the Summer webinar series and explores four topics which can facilitate a more resilient and sustainable approach to housing: EU funding for building sustainable housing; the German DGNB Sustainable Building Certification; Community led town centre regeneration; and Sustainable Transport and Housing.

Please click below to view each webinar. Alternatively, view the complete playlist on The Housing Agency's YouTube channel.

The views expressed by the speakers in these videos are not necessarily those of The Housing Agency. All information correct as of broadcast date.

• Financing the future of housing: Insights on EU funding for sustainable housing from across Europe
  A panel featuring: Lily Maxwell, European Federation for Living; York Ostermeyer, Chalmers University; and  Marie Longueville-Chouteau, Vilogia. (15 Oct 2020)
   
• People Power: Community-led town centre regeneration in Dumfries, Scotland
  Scott Mackay, Midsteeple Quarter project (22 Oct 2020)
   
• Mobility makes sense: Walkability, neighbourhood design and the future of mobility and housing in Ireland
  Lorraine Darcy, Technological University Dublin (30 Oct 2020)
   
• Making sustainability happen: Insights from Germany on the DGNB Sustainable Building Certification System.
  Levan Ekhvaia and Stephan Anders, DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) (5 Nov 2020)

The State could save €900 million over 30 years[i] as a result of direct public investment in Supported Housing for older people, research conducted by The Housing Agency has found.

‘Thinking Ahead: The Financial Benefits of Investing in Supported Housing for Older People’, found that, by supporting people to live in homes suited to their needs, an average annual Government saving of €4,650[ii] per person can be made, compared to that individual remaining in their current home or moving into long term residential care.

The figures are based on the provision of Supported Housing for 11,400 people over the next 10 years, a number derived from expected projections in Ireland’s population aged over 80 during this time period.[iii] 

Supported Housing is housing built specifically for older people, offering some level of care and support.

At the launch of this research today, co-authors Roslyn Molloy and Rory Mulholland outlined the range of Supported Housing options explored and the benefits derived from each:

·        Independent Living accommodation (where a low level of additional services would be required) provided through social housing for one older person would generate an annual benefit of €4,700.

·        Assisted Living accommodation (where there may be a healthcare manager, housing manager, or an activities coordinator on site, and day care/primary care centres nearby) provided through social housing for one older person would generate an annual benefit of €5,200.

·        Specialised Living accommodation (where social and healthcare staff would be on-site, meals would be provided, and care supports would be available 24-7, similar to nursing home care) provided through social housing for one older person would generate an annual benefit of €2,200.

Privately-funded Supported Housing could potentially generate annual savings of €4,000, €9,200 and €20,000 for each accommodation type respectively. Additional savings from private provision are due to the absence of capital costs being met up-front by the State.

Launching the report, Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD, said:

“As a nation we are living longer, and the number of older people in our population is set to grow significantly in the next ten years. In response, this Government recognises the need to plan ahead to meet the housing and healthcare needs of an ageing population. This research is a significant step in our ongoing work in this area.”

Chief Executive of The Housing Agency, John O’Connor, said:

“While this research began pre- Covid-19, its relevance as we continue to deal with the global pandemic is clear. This year has shown us the power of community.

“Through Supported Housing, many older people can remain in their own communities and maintain a level of independence that would otherwise be lost. It strengthens their connection to family and friends, and provides them with a secure home.

“For many people, residential nursing home care may be the most appropriate form of care into their later years. However, for many the availability of a Supported Housing option would provide a welcome alternative and come with a significant saving to the State. Such savings come from preventing or delaying the need for an older person to access nursing home care, but also by reducing the care needs of those who would otherwise stay in standard accommodation.”

Research outlined in Thinking Ahead: The Financial Benefits of Investing in Housing for Older People was conducted as part of a range of recommended actions under the policy statement ‘Housing Options for Our Ageing Population’, published by the Government in March 2019.