The government must immediately provide funding guarantees to local authorities to prevent avoidable hold-ups to the tenant in-situ scheme, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“The success of this scheme, which allows local authorities to purchase properties where existing tenants are facing eviction, is completely dependent on reliable funding streams from central government.
“However, hundreds of potential home purchases are being held up because the Department of Housing has yet to formally provide funding to local authorities ahead of a Cabinet decision on extending the scheme.
“In a week where we saw another grim record set for homelessness – with 15,286 people living in emergency accommodation – it beggars belief that the government is dragging its heels on a scheme aimed at keeping at-risk tenants in their homes.
“Last year, 16,546 notices to quit were issued to tenants, many of whom have since become part of Ireland’s shameful homelessness statistics.
“The tenant in-situ scheme, if properly funded and resourced, is one measure that could make all the difference to those at the sharp edge of our housing crisis.
“The government’s dithering over funding risks undermining the credibility of this scheme. We now have a completely bizarre situation where landlords are willing to sell their properties to local authorities but are being prevented from doing so due to a pause in funding from the Department of Housing. This could result in them opting to sell on the private market instead, resulting in the inevitable eviction of tenants.
“Those facing eviction do not have the luxury of time. The Minister for Housing must immediately intervene and provide clear funding guarantees to local authorities so they can ramp-up the tenant in-situ scheme.”
March 3, 2025