Questions about social housing supports
What is social housing support?
Social housing support is when a local authority arranges to address your long-term housing needs. One way they can do this is by giving you a tenancy in a local authority property or a tenancy through an Approved Housing Body (AHB). Another way is through paying rent to a private landlord on your behalf under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme.
What kind of social housing support is available?
Local authority social housing
Local authority social housing is the most common form of social housing support. Individuals who ask for social housing from a local authority must meet certain conditions set by law. They must have a need for social housing before the local authority will consider them for accommodation.
The supply of local authority social housing is limited and there is generally a significant waiting list. The more need a person has for social housing, the shorter they will have to wait on the waiting list. When the local authority provides accommodation, tenants must pay rent to the authority, based on the household’s ability to pay. The local authority calculates rent under the ‘differential rent scheme’. Each local authority publishes its own version of the differential rent scheme. You will generally find a copy of your local authority’s scheme on its website. If not, you can ask your local authority for a copy of their differential rent scheme.
Approved Housing Bodies
Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) also provide social housing to people on the local authority social housing waiting lists.
Help with paying rent
In addition to social housing tenancies, there are other housing supports available. These supports can help you pay rent and they include: (1) the Housing Assistance Payment; (2) Rent Supplement and (3) the Rental Accommodation Scheme. These supports are summarised in this section. For more detailed information about these supports, please see the section below called ‘Other types of Housing Support’.
Housing Assistance Payment
Sometimes, the local authority pays rent to a private landlord under the Housing Assistance Payment scheme (HAP)). The local authority is not your landlord. You must find your own tenancy and you have a normal landlord-tenant relationship with the person you rent the property from.
HAP is available in all local authority areas and the eligibility criteria are generally the same as for social housing. HAP will eventually replace long-term Rent Supplement, which is being phased out.
Rent Supplement
At the moment, the Department of Social Protection grants Rent Supplement. They will pay it if you are renting from a private landlord or want to rent from a private landlord but cannot afford it. It is a short-term supplement to cover your rent and depends on your circumstances.
Rental Accommodation Scheme
There are also some less common types of social housing support like the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
How do I apply for social housing?
To apply for social housing, you need to submit an application form and supporting documents to your local authority. The application must be made to the local authority of the area you wish to live in and can be got from your local authority’s offices or website. The application form will have a checklist with the supporting documents you need to attach along with the application form, such as a photographic ID, birth certificates, PPS numbers, proof of address, employment information, etc. More details about how to fill out the form, and the supporting documents can be found in this ‘Easy to Read Guide to Filling in the Social Housing Support Application Form’ here.
You can submit only one application for social housing supports to only one local authority at a time. There are 31 local authorities nationwide.
Which local authority should I apply to?
Generally, you should apply to the local authority in the area where you normally live, or where you have a ‘local connection’. (You can find out more about what ‘Local Connection’ means here). . If you don’t normally live in a local authority area, or if you don’t have a ‘local connection’ to the area, the law states that the local authority may still agree to consider your application for social housing support. For example, a local authority may use this power to consider an application from a person who has moved to a new county for exceptional safety reasons. However, it is not mandatory in all circumstances for a local authority to consider social housing applications from a person who does not normally live in the area or have a local connection to that area.
Can I specify particular areas of preference where I would like to live?
On your social housing application, you can specify up to three ‘areas of preference’ where you would like to live. Usually, these areas of preference must all be within the local authority area where you submit your application. However, if there is more than one local authority within your county (for example, in Dublin/Cork/Galway), a different rule applies (see next section below).
Which local authority should I apply to if there is more than one local authority in my county?
Some counties have more than one local authority. For example, there are two local authorities in each of Cork and Galway. There are four local authorities in Dublin:
- Dublin City Council (DCC);
- South Dublin County Council (SDCC);
- Fingal County Council (FCC);
- Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC).
If you live in a county that has more than one local authority, you may still submit a social housing supports application to only one local authority within that county (generally the one where you normally reside or where you have a local connection). However, on your application, you may specify ‘areas of preference’, where you would like to live. At least one of these areas of preference should be in the local authority area where you are submitting your application, but you may specify up to two areas of preference that are in other local authority areas within your county. For example, if you apply to Dublin City Council, you must pick at least one area of preference in the DCC area but you can specify up to two areas of preference in SDCC, FCC or DLRCC.
How does a local authority assess if I should get social housing?
There are two steps, you must show you are:
- eligible for social housing and
- in need of social housing.
Assessing if you are eligible for social housing
First, the local authority will assess whether you are eligible for social housing support. They use rules set down by law to decide if you are eligible for social housing support or not. The local authority will look at basic facts about your income level. They will also assess if you have alternative accommodation. If you have alternative accommodation that you can occupy and if it meets your housing need, you will not be eligible for social housing supports (unless there are good reasons why it is not reasonable to live in the alternative accommodation). You may not be eligible for social housing supports if you are the current owner of a property and if you can sell that property and use the proceeds of sale to secure suitable housing.
Assessing if you need social housing
If the local authority considers you are eligible for social housing, they will then assess your housing ‘need’. These rules are also set by law.
When assessing your housing need, the local authority will assess certain matters about the suitability of your current accommodation. For example, the local authority will assess whether your current accommodation is overcrowded or unfit for human habitation. The local authority should also make a record of other specific housing needs that you may have. For example, the local authority should record if you need older persons’ accommodation or Traveller-specific accommodation. . .
The social housing waiting list
If you are eligible and have a sufficient need for housing, you will be put on the local authority’s social housing waiting list.
Who can I ask for help to fill out a local authority housing application form?
The housing section in your local authority should provide help to fill out the form. Citizens Information Centres can also provide help and information. You can find your local Citizens Information Centre here.
What are Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs)?
Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are also called voluntary housing associations. They work with local authorities to house people who are on the local authority housing list. .
Many new social housing tenancies are provided by AHBs rather than directly by local authorities. An AHB can only house you if you are on the local authority housing waiting list. Sometimes a particular AHB specialises in accommodation for particular groups, like older people or people with disabilities. You would need to be part of these groups to qualify for that particular housing.
Approved Housing Body Regulatory Authority
The Approved Housing Body Regulatory Authority oversees the sector and publishes guidance about AHBs (see www.ahbra.ie).
Where to get more information on AHBs
The Irish Council for Social Housing is an organisation that provides information on AHBs across Ireland (see www.icsh.ie).
How does the local authority decide who to give houses to?
As houses become available to the local authority for renting out, they allocate them to people on the waiting list in order of priority.
Each local authority has its own rules on deciding who should be prioritised on this list. Some housing authorities have a points system. Under this system they give you points depending on how long you have been on the waiting list and your personal circumstances. For example, if you have a disability or are homeless you may get more points. The local authority will contact you when:
- suitable accommodation has become available in your area of choice
- you have reached your place on the list.
Some local authorities also operate a ‘choice-based letting scheme’ (CBL). Under this scheme, the local authority advertises available housing on a website. Households on the waiting list can then tell the local authority they are interested in a specific property listed on that website.
In some local authority areas, you may only express an interest in CBL properties which are in your areas of preference.
The local authority reviews the waiting list position and priority status of everyone who expressed interest in the property on CBL. They then offer to allocate the accommodation to one household. If you are offered a property under the CBL system and refuse it, you will not be able to use CBL for 12 months. This refusal will not change your position on the housing list
I cannot meet my mortgage repayments – can I apply for social housing?
Yes, if you cannot meet mortgage repayments the local authority will consider this when they are assessing your housing need. Information on the mortgage-to-rent scheme is available here.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, it is provided for general legal information only. It is not a substitute for legal advice. MLRC does not accept any legal liability for the contents of these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). People with specific legal problems should consult a solicitor.
