Scheme of Letting Priorities

Section A

Clonakilty Town Council, in accordance with Section 11 of the Housing Act, 1988, hereby makes a Scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded to the Letting of Dwellings, provided by the Authority under the Housing Act, 1966 and of which they are the owner, to persons in need of accommodation –

• who are in the opinion of the Authority, unable to  provide accommodation from their own resources, and
• whose need for accommodation –
  • has been established in the most recent assessment made by the Authority under Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1988, or
  •  has been accepted and established by the Authority, after the making of that assessment, for inclusion in the next such assessment.

Section B

In the making of any letting of a dwelling provided by the Housing Authority regard shall be had to the character, industry, occupation, family circumstances and existing housing conditions of the applicants and subject thereto the following scale of priorities shall apply –

1. 1st preference shall be given to applicants living in dwellings deemed to be dangerous as defined in Section 3 of the Sanitary Services Act, 1964 or being displaced by operation of the Local Authority.
2. 2nd preference shall be given to applicants living in dwellings deemed to be unfit as defined in Section 66 of the Housing Act, 1966 and overcrowded as defined in Section 63 of the Housing Act, 1966.
3. 3rd preference shall be given to applicants living in dwellings deemed to be unfit as defined in Section 66 of the Housing Act, 1966.
4. 4th preference shall be given to applicants deemed homeless under Section 2 of the Housing Act, 1988 or persons to whom Section 13 of the Housing Act, 1988 applies.
5. 5th preference shall be given to applicants living in dwellings deemed to be overcrowded as defined in Section 63 of the Housing Act, 1966.
6. 6th preference shall be given to applicants in need of housing on medical, compassionate or other similar grounds.
7. 7th preference shall be given to applicants who in the opinion of the Housing Authority are not reasonably able to meet the cost of the accommodation which they are occupying or to obtain suitable alternative accommodation.

 

Section C

The following special conditions shall apply in respect of the Scheme of Priorities for Letting Dwellings: -

1. The Housing Authority, in applying the terms of the Scheme of Priorities for Letting Dwellings to a person, may disregard the accommodation that person is occupying where the Authority have reason to believe that he has deliberately or without good and sufficient reason done or failed to do anything (other than an action or omission in good faith) in consequent of suitable for his adequate housing that other accommodation which it would have been, or would be, reasonable for him to occupy.
2. The Housing Authority, may from time to time, determine, as they see fit, to set aside for persons of such category or categories as the Authority may decide, a particular number or proportion of the dwellings becoming available to the Authority for letting.
3. The Housing Authority may obtain and may have regard to a report from a medical officer or health officer in the making of lettings of dwellings where priority is claimed on grounds consisting of, or including, medical grounds.
4. The provision of Section B of this Scheme shall not preclude the Housing Authority in its discretion from making special provision, including the provision of temporary accommodation for person in need of accommodation arising from an emergency.
5. The provisions of Section B of this Scheme shall not preclude the Housing Authority from catering for transfers of tenants within the authorities housing stock to facilitate –
   1. Large families to move from overcrowded conditions.
   2. Senior citizens and other small households to surrender family-type accommodation and move to smaller and more appropriate accommodation.

 

Section D

The following miscellaneous provisions shall apply –

1. Mutual transfer applications, including transfers between tenants of different housing authorities, shall be considered on their merits.
2. The Housing Authority may at its discretion allow, subject to appropriate conditions, succession of tenancies by family members normally resident in the dwelling at the time of death of a tenant.
3. Any applicant may be excluded from consideration if the applicant supplies false information or withholds relevant information, either on the application form or at subsequent interview.
4. An applicant who, without a satisfactory explanation, refuses an offer of a Council dwelling will have his application deferred for such time as the Housing Authority considers necessary having regard to the needs of other applicants on the current assessment, but the length of time he is an approved applicant will be taken into account.
5. Application from persons who had previously sold dwelling houses etc. are only considered where the Housing Authority is satisfied  with the reasons for the sale put forward by the applicant and that the financial outcome of the sale was such as to render it impossible for the applicant to provide adequate accommodation from his own resources.
6. The making of a Scheme of Letting Priorities, or any amendment proposed to the Scheme from time to time shall be made only with the approval of the Minister.
7. A copy of the scheme will be available for public inspection at the offices of the Housing Authority, during office hours.