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Housing and Building

The Housing Section of Sligo County Council provides a number of very important services, covering every aspect of social housing:

• Assisting people who are in need of housing and who cannot afford it from their own resources.
• Provision and management of traveller accommodation.
• Liaison with approved Voluntary Housing Organisations and other agencies in the provision of accommodation.
• Encouragement of home ownership through the Shared Ownership Scheme, Tenant Purchase Scheme, Affordable Housing Scheme and various loan options.

 

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

The Social and Affordable Housing Action Plan 2004-2008, as agreed with the Department of Environment, Heritage AND Local Government in December 2004, sets targets for the Council to deliver a specified number of units per year across a range of housing options such as Social, Affordable, Voluntary and Part V Housing.  This figure stands at 493 over the life time of the plan which averages at an estimate of 98 units per annum.  This figure sets a challenge to the Council in terms of securing and procuring adequate land and negotiating with both developers and the voluntary housing agencies.

The Housing capital allocation from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for 2006 was €11,600,000, which was made up as follows:

• Local Authority Housing Programme €11,000,000
• Residential Caravans & Group Housing for Travellers €400,000
• Remedial Works Schemes €200,000

The following sets out in summary, progress on the larger housing schemes:

Housing Scheme	Completed in 2006
Ballisodare	26
Bunninadden	6
Coolaney	18
Collooney	11
Culfadda	6
Easkey	6
Grange	8
Total:	81

 

Housing Scheme	To be Completed in 2007
Grange	4
Riverstown	4
Coolaney	4
Ballintogher	10
Camross, Ballymote	16
Culfadda	6
Tubbercurry	10
Carrigeens	2
Total:	56

The Council has a policy of purchasing houses on the open market where the houses represent value for money and where a demand exists. In the current economic climate, it is not possible to source many houses on the open market which fall within the Department’s approved unit cost budget. However, 14 houses were purchased on the open market in 2006.

PART V

Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, has provided a welcome opportunity to Housing Authorities to secure land, housing units or money to assist with delivering the Housing Capital Programme.

The Housing Strategy states that 20% of eligible sites, which are the subject of new residential development, are to be set aside for the development of social and affordable housing. There are a variety of options for compliance with this requirement but the preferred option of the Housing Authority is to take units or land which will become available for a mix of social and affordable housing.

Negotiations on Part V take place as early as possible in the Planning process which provides an opportunity for both the Local Authority and the developer to secure an outcome to their satisfaction. Negotiations have been ongoing with developers in respect of all applications which are within the areas zoned for residential development since the adoption of the Housing Strategy. This involves a legal agreement between the Authority and the developer setting out all details in respect of the Part V offer. The environs of Sligo, Strandhill and Enniscrone have been subject to zoning for some time. In addition, since May 2005, residential development at Ballisodare, Collooney and Grange are now subject to the Part V requirements.

The Council’s target in the Action Plan is to deliver 36 Part V units by the end of 2008. This figure, while dependent on a number of factors outside the control of the Housing Authority, should be achieved. The funding for the social units is obtained from the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government while the funding for the affordable units is obtained from the Housing Finance Agency. The Bank of Ireland and some of the Building Societies have now also entered the market to provide funding to purchasers of Part V affordable housing.

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

The Procurement and Project Management Team continue to be involved in the delivery of the PPP (Public Private Partnership) housing scheme in Carney.

The Carney Housing Scheme will see the development of 5.3 acres of County Council owned land into a mix of social, affordable and private housing together with some small scale commercial development and community facilities. Tenders have been received and are currently being evaluated.

HOUSING MAINTENANCE

Approximately 60.38% of the maintenance budget of €366,000 was used for planned maintenance and the remaining 39.61% was used for emergency repairs. Planned maintenance involved replacing defective windows and doors and also replacing defective ranges.

The Council allocated €20,000 towards Environmental Improvements. The Environmental Maintenance Co-Op was successful in its tender for environmental improvements in various local authority estates, this involved grass cutting and maintenance work which was carried out during the summer months.

A grant of €576,800 was received from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government towards the installation of central heating, insulation, ventilation etc. in 103 no. older County Council dwellings. The Council supplemented this grant with approximately €327,796.88 from its own resources. Work has commenced in respect of 103 houses at the end of 2006.

RENTS

Rents payable on local authority dwellings are assessed under a Differential Rents Scheme which is based on the income of the household. The Rent Scheme was reviewed in 2006 and rents were brought into line with increases in disposable income and to meet the ever-increasing demand for maintenance and estate management.

HOUSING LOANS

Those who wish to purchase or build a house but cannot get a loan from a building society, bank, etc. may be eligible for a loan from a local authority. The maximum house purchase/construction loan is 95% of the cost to a maximum of €185,000. Sligo County Council paid out €462,340.66 in house purchase, construction and reconstruction loans in 2006.
 

Loan Approvals 2006

Type of Loan	Number
Purchases	1
Construction	0
Reconstruction	1

Loan Payments 2006

Type of Loan	Number	Amount
Purchases	1	€135,000.00
Construction	2	€293,700.00
Reconstruction	3	€33,640.66

SHARED OWNERSHIP SCHEME

This scheme offers home ownership in a number of steps to those who cannot afford full ownership in one step in the traditional way. Initially, ownership of the house is shared between the shared owner and the Local Authority; however, the shared owner has the option at a later date to purchase the Council’s share outright when they are in a better position to afford it financially.

In 2006, Sligo County Council issued 11 (no.) Provisional Approvals to applicants and 6 (no.) Final Approvals were granted under this scheme.

TENANT PURCHASE

Persons who have been tenants of a local authority house for a period of at least one year may apply to purchase their rented house outright or by means of Shared Ownership under the Tenant Purchase Scheme. The purchase price will be the market value of the house in its existing state of repair and condition, less various discounts. Fourteen houses were sold under the Tenant Purchase Scheme.

IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN LIEU OF REHOUSING

This Scheme allows the council to improve or extend privately owned houses occupied or intended to be occupied by an approved applicant for housing as an alternative to the provision of local authority housing.

During 2006, 14 houses were upgraded at an average cost per house of €41,900 and 15 applications were approved under the Scheme.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

During 2006, 10 no. houses were completed in Grange and successfully allocated in late summer. Work also commenced in 2006 on Phase II of the Ballintogher scheme, (Phase 1 completed in 2003). The 6 houses in this phase are scheduled for completion in February, 2007 and suitably qualified applicants are currently being assessed.

ESTATE MANAGEMENT

The Estate Management Officer continued to provide support to Council tenants during 2006 via pretenancy training, engaging with Resident Associations in relation to Estate Action Plans and acting as a liaison with Council officials regarding housing issues, e.g. maintenance, transfers, etc.

Sligo County Council received approval during 2006 for funding of €55,000 under the Clár Estate Enhancement Scheme, (€26,125 from Clár, €26,125 Local Authority Internal Capital Receipts and €2,750 local contribution). The Scheme operates from September 2005 to the end of August 2007 and the approved works include the provision of seating, paving, landscaping and lighting, of six specified Council estates.

Sligo Local Authorities adopted a joint policy to combat Anti-Social Behaviour. This document sets out clear policies and procedures for dealing with instances of anti-social behaviour in Local Authority housing. It was prepared in consultation with Estate Management Officers, Gardaí, Resident Associations and other interested parties. Extensive public consultation was undertaken, and feedback was positive.

To further support estate management activities, Sligo Local Authorities jointly sought and secured funding from the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government under the 2005 Housing Management Initiative Grants Scheme for the following projects:

• The employment of a Housing Investigation Officer and Community Development Officer, whose main roles will be to implement the adopted anti- social behaviour policy, facilitate the establishment of and provide support to Resident Associations.
• The development of a comprehensive Integrated Estate Management Strategy for County Sligo – a project co-ordinator will be employed for a 12 month period for this project.

ESSENTIAL REPAIRS GRANTS

The principal benefit of the Essential Repairs Grants Scheme is that it enables structural repairs to be carried out to prolong the life of a house for an elderly resident. The maximum grant available under the Scheme is €9,523, with 2/3 of the cost being recouped from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

31 approvals were issued during the year and 21 grants were paid out under this Scheme, totalling €73,340.75.

DISABLED PERSONS GRANTS

The Disabled Persons Grants Scheme allows Sligo County Council to make a grant available for the provision of house adaptations to meet the needs of a household member who is disabled. Due to the everincreasing number of applications, the grants are awarded on a priority basis, with a focus on those cases where the applicant’s disability seriously impacts on their quality of life.

The maximum amount payable under the Scheme is €20,315, with 2/3 of the cost being recouped from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. 111 approvals were issued during the year and 49 grants were paid out totalling €170,785.85.

TRAVELLER ACCOMMODATION

In accordance with the provisions of the Housing Traveller Accommodation Act, 1998, Sligo County Council is obliged to adopt a five year traveller accommodation programme setting out its plans for the provision of suitable accommodation for members of the travelling community.

Sligo County Council carried out an Assessment of Traveller Accommodation Needs which was concluded in November 2003. This assessment looked at the need for traveller accommodation in various forms i.e. standard housing, group housing, halting sites and transient halting sites. A comprehensive analysis of data contained in the Census figures and the Assessment of Housing Needs (2002) formed the basis of the 2005-2008 Programme. The Traveller Accommodation Programme 2005-2008 takes into account issues pertaining to the provision of traveller accommodation in the Sligo area and also considers the broader context of traveller health, education, discrimination and employment.

Accommodation required to meet needs:

Type of Accommodation	Number of Units
Transient Halting Site	6 units
Group Housing Scheme	7 - 8 units
Standard Local Authority/Specific Instance/Voluntary Housing	8 units

CLOONAMAHON TRANSIENT HALTING SITE

In 2006, Sligo County Council completed the construction of a 6 bay transient halting site at Cloonamahon, Co. Sligo, at a cost of €500,000. Facilities include light, water and sanitary and is serviced by a refuse collection. The site is well landscaped and integrates with the surrounding landscape. This site will accommodate transient travellers visiting County Sligo for short periods of time. Such transient Travellers can be either nomadic or families with permanent accommodation elsewhere but who might wish to visit the Sligo area for various reasons. Since the 1st December 2006, there have been 4 families occupying the site.

Sligo County Council will continue to monitor the needs of travellers and will ensure the delivery of housing accommodation as detailed in the Traveller Accommodation Programme.

CONNOLLY PARK DEVELOPMENT

The Part 8 planning process was completed in respect of Phase 1 of the Connolly Park re-development in September 2006. Tenders have been received and contracts were signed at the end of December 2006. It is expected that the construction of this scheme will commence early in 2007.

RENTAL ACCOMMODATION SCHEME (RAS)

In July, 2004 the Government announced a new initiative, the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), which proposes to transfer to Local Authorities responsibility for housing persons in receipt of rent supplement who are deemed to have a long term housing need. The Scheme is to be implemented over a four year period (2005 – 2008), with the Housing Authority progressively taking over responsibility for persons who have been in receipt of a rent supplement on a continuous basis for over 18 months. At present, there are approximately 300 cases in this category in County Sligo.

The Scheme will operate as follows:

• The Housing Authority will source and lease suitable accommodation from the private rented sector.
• A three-way contract will be entered into by the Local Authority/Landlord/Tenant.
• Housing Authorities will be allocated funds that would otherwise have been spent by the Health Service Executive on paying rent allowances for households accommodated through the new arrangements.
• The Housing Authority pay the full rent to the landlord, and a contribution towards rent will be collectable from the tenant.
• Housing Authorities will be paid an administration fee per unit of €150 in year one and €100 per year thereafter.
• Tenancies will be required to be registered with the Private Rented Tenancies Board.
• Accommodation providers must be tax compliant.
• Accommodation will be required to meet minimum standards.

In 2006, approval was received from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, for the employment of a Senior Staff Officer and an Assistant Staff Officer to implement and manage the Scheme and these staff took up duty in September 2006.