Owners reluctant on social housing

OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AND FAMILY AFFAIRS:OWNERS OF vacant properties may have been reluctant to get involved in social accommodation schemes in the hope they might fare better under the National Asset Management Agency, the Committee on Social and Family Affairs heard yesterday.

Department of the Environment official Eddie Lewis said there were many vacant properties with potential for use in social leasing or in the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). The department had been “beating the bushes” to get landlords and owners to join such schemes, but there was a reluctance to do so.

Mr Lewis said it could be explained by uncertainty on property values. Asked by Labour TD Róisín Shortall whether owners thought they might do better under Nama, he said: “I think some people did expect to do better, and maybe held off.” The committee had met to look at how more people could be moved from the Rent Supplement Scheme to RAS. The rent supplement provides short-term income support to people in private rented accommodation, while RAS is run by local authorities for people with long-term housing needs.

The committee heard almost 35,000 people had received rent supplements for more than 18 months. Orlaigh Quinn of the Department of Social Protection said more than 94,000 people were receiving rent supplements. This was up 52 per cent since the end of 2007.

Michael Layde of the Department of the Environment said it was hoped the arrival of Nama would result in a social dividend in terms of added social housing. There had been a huge increase in demand for help in paying rent in recent times and the Department of the Environment was “ramping up” its activities in this area.