Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that restrictions being introduced to the social housing Tenant-In-Situ Scheme by Minister for Housing James Browne will make people homeless.
The Dublin Mid-West TD’s comments were made as a Department of Housing briefing note was circulated to Local Authorities setting out the new restrictions.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“The social housing Tenant-In-Situ Scheme is working. It has prevented thousands of people from becoming homeless. The scheme should be expanded to provide multi-annual funding and targets for local authorities to ensure the maximum number of tenants at risk of eviction can avail of it.
“Instead of increasing this vital protection to renters with eviction notices, the Minister for Housing James Browne has reduced funding and cut targets for the scheme. His officials have also written out to Local Authorities this week imposing a series of new restrictions on the operation of the scheme.
“Under the new rules, single people and couples without children will be excluded. Rental properties must be at least two years in the social housing support system. Councils will not be allowed to reclaim refurbishment costs. The Department has also removed the ability of Council to acquire more than the target that they will be set.
“The consequence of the cut in funding, reduction in targets and introduction of restrictions will make more people homelessness. There is already a significant backlog of tenant-in-situ applications arising from the failure of former Minister Darragh O’Brien to set the 2025 funding levels and targets last year.
“Now the new Minister for Housing, James Browne, is putting more people at risk of homelessness with these changes. The government claims that tackling the housing and homelessness crisis is their number one priority. If this is the case why are they taking decisions that will actually increase the number of people forced into prolonged stays in emergency accommodation.
“I have written to the Minister for Housing urging him to reverse this terrible decision and to expand the scheme in order to reduce the number of single people, couples and families with children becoming homelessness because of eviction notices from the private rental sector.”
Briefing note from Department of Housing to Local Authorities circulated can be read here.
