Housing Role of the Council

• The construction / purchase / development of houses for allocation to those in need - these properties being let on the basis of a differential rent related to the tenants' ability to repay.
• The development and sale of housing sites at subsidised rates.
• The construction / acquisition of houses for sale at affordable prices.
• The acquisition and allocation of social housing units developed under Part V of the Planning Act.

Assistance to persons housing themselves and to those already in housing which requires alteration to meet specific needs

• The granting of loans for house purchase / construction / improvement.
• The granting of "shared ownership" leases for house purchase and construction.
• The issue of Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grants to fund repairs / refurbishment of properties to meet the needs of the Disabled Person or Elderly Person.
• The drawing down of subsidies from the Department of the Environment and Local Government to assist qualified applicants meet mortgage / rental payments.
• The allocation of housing units developed under Part V of the Planning Act 2000.

Pre 1991

Prior to 1991 the role of Housing Authorities could have been summarised as building, letting, managing and selling houses. Functional assistance by way of Housing Loans was also provided. However, since the publication in 1991 by Government of "The Plan for Social Housing" and its successor in May 1995 "Social Housing - The Way Ahead", Housing Authorities have had to look at more imaginative methods of responding to the needs of housing applicants in addition to the functions that were traditionally performed.

New Initiatives

While Housing Authorities continue to provide housing under their Building Programme, new initiatives have been introduced and promoted such as:

• Shared Ownership
• Low Cost Sites Scheme
• Improvement works in lieu of direct housing, including the roll out of a Central Heating Scheme
• Mortgage Allowance Scheme.
• Provision of finance to facilitate and encourage the involvement of the voluntary sector in the construction of social housing.
• Affordable Housing - Molloy Initiative / Part V Developments.

These initiatives can now be employed to satisfy a persons housing need, and they have been expanded and enhanced across the county.

Factors Fuelling Demand

• Over the past four or five years a number of factors have fuelled demand for housing.
• The rate of increase of house prices in an economic climate of low interest rates and low inflation.
• Returning immigrants.
• Increased economic activity and confidence, lending to greater aspirations to home ownership.
• Investment in property as opposed to financial institutions.

Affordability

In the current housing climate, first time buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to gain entry to the housing market.
People are now starting to look at other means of funding their first mortgage either through a longer-term loan or through the Shared Ownership System, which allows them get on the first rung of the housing ladder.
The level of Private Housing Development within the town and the expected output under the Part V initiative from these developments will also assist greatly in meeting the demand of first time buyers, while also providing an element of social housing units within each development.

What can Clonakilty Town Council Do? What is being done?

The Council continues to promote initiatives under the Plan for Social Housing to meet rising demands.
New housing schemes are planned across the county and will include a provision of Social, Affordable and Sheltered Housing units.
The Council actively promotes the provision of serviced housing sites through the county.
The Council encourage the provision of housing by Voluntary / Co-operative Sector in partnership with the housing authority.
The Council actively seeks to acquire land in suitable locations to meet the ever-increasing demand for housing.
Where vacancies arise in the current rented stock, attempts are made to relet these houses in the shortest possible time.

Other functions intended for Housing Authorities in the coming years

The responsibility of housing authorities are set to expand even further in the coming years.  The scale of private development in the County continues to expand which, in turn, will lead to large numbers of both Affordable and Social Housing units being made available to the Council under Part V.  This in turn brings a new level of responsibility to allocate these units in a timely fashion.

Recent changes in the Regulations on Supplementary Welfare Allowance (Rent Allowance) have and will continue to have an impact on Housing Authorities. A new Scheme called the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been established. The Scheme is for people who are receiving rent supplement, usually for more than 18 months, and who need long-term housing. Local Authorities are running the Scheme. It will provide additional, good quality rented accommodation for people receiving rent supplement and it will help Local Authorities to provide long-term housing for people who need it.