News

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, 17th April 2023

Housing First successful in ending long term homelessness

- High sustainment rate of 86% a key indicator of the success of the programme, according to The Housing Agency -

The tenancy sustainment rate for Housing First tenants is 86 per cent, demonstrating the positive impact of the programme in addressing long-term homelessness. That's according to The Housing Agency where the Housing First National Office is based.  Today (17th April 2023) the Housing First National Office are holding a conference exploring the impact of the programme while also raising key themes aimed at supporting front line staff in Local Authority, HSE and homeless organisations since the introduction of Housing First Nationally in 2018.

Housing First aims to eliminate homelessness for people with a history of rough sleeping and long-term use of emergency homeless accommodation. Tenants of Housing First will have complex needs around mental health, substance use, physical health, and other social and behavioural challenges. It provides direct access to permanent housing, together with intensive tenancy and health supports delivered in a wrap around team mainly in the person’s home.

Since the introduction of Housing First in Ireland 865 tenants have been supported, with 240 tenancies created in 2022 alone.

Commenting ahead of the conference, Rob Lowth, National Director of the Housing First National Office, said: "Housing First is a person-centred approach to helping people who are experiencing long-term homelessness and who may require additional supports. By providing people with a stable and secure home first, we can then work with them to help them to overcome other issues they may face. The fact that almost ninety per cent of the tenants we have supported so far have been able to sustain their tenancy proves that the Housing First programme is effective and gives the individuals an opportunity to be housed in some cases for the very first time.

"The Housing First National Office looks forward to continuing supporting both the Statutory and NGO sectors to support Housing First tenant and reduce long-term homelessness."

The theme of the Housing First conference taking place in Athlone today and tomorrow is "Where would Ireland be without Housing First". Speakers include:

• Dr. Sam Tsemberis, who founded the Housing First programme in New York in 1992:
• Dr, Ronni Greenwood, University of Limerick, who conducted the national evaluation of Housing First.
• Mr. Joe Doyle, HSE National Social Inclusion Office, whose work focuses on ensuring the required health supports are in place to support Housing First tenants.

Further information about Housing First is available here: https://www.housingagency.ie/housing-information/housing-first

ENDS

Contact: Sorcha MacMahon / Emily Brennan, Alice Public Relations, Tel: 087-7585337 / 086-1658629, Email: media@alicepr.com

Notes to Editors:

Rob Lowth, Dr Sam Tsemberis and Dr Ronni Greenwood are available for media interview.

About The Housing Agency

The Housing Agency supports the development of sustainable communities across Ireland. It works to meet the nation’s housing needs by:

• Rolling out new housing projects and co-ordinating programmes that can transform how we live. 
• Using data and research to provide evidence-based solutions.
• Advising the Government on housing policies.
• Collaborating with all those involved in the housing sector in Ireland to ensure we are working as effectively as possible. 

A State-funded body governed by an independent Board, The Housing Agency works mainly with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and non-profit housing providers.

Follow The Housing Agency on Twitter: @HousingAgencyIE.

The Housing Agency presents a lunchtime webinar intended to provide an overview of key governance and legal topics for multi-unit developments, and owners’ management companies. 

This event will be of interest to a wide audience- owners’ management companies, Approved Housing Bodies, residents, property professionals, and other stakeholders in the multi-unit developments sector. 

Speakers

• Henry Murdoch, retired barrister and chartered engineer, and author of Apartment Living in Ireland, A Practical Handbook for Owners, Owners’ Management Companies, and Managing Agents.

• David McCourt, Director of Asset Management & Property Services, Co-operative Housing Ireland

The 60-minute webinar will take place at 12.30pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023.

Registration is free of charge via this Zoom link-

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XQ6UNfKRTBO86YgySUngPw

Questions may be emailed to MUD@housingagency.ie

The session will be recorded for future use.

Places are limited to 1,000 attendees on a first-come first-served basis.

By registering for this webinar you consent for the purposes of event management to the processing by The Housing Agency of your personal data (name and email address).

Disclaimer

Information provided during the webinar is general in nature.  It should not be considered to amount to legal advice, and no reliance should be placed on it.  The Housing Agency and webinar presenters cannot be held responsible for actions or failure to act on foot of the information provided.  There may be other issues or circumstances that would influence the comments provided.  Professional legal advice might be necessary on individual circumstances.

The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) Scheme is a new scheme that is available where a tenant household faces the termination of their tenancy due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. The scheme is available if the tenant household:

• is not able to purchase the property from the landlord
• is at risk of homelessness
• is not eligible for, or currently in receipt of social housing supports (that is in receipt of HAP or in the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS)).

Local Authorities have responsibility for the assessment of applicant tenant households in receipt of a valid notice of termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. Potential applicants should contact their local authority and make an appointment to see the Housing Officer. The Housing Officer will assess the applicant’s risk of homelessness and whether they may be eligible for social housing. When they get an appointment to meet the Housing Officer they will need to bring, (i) A valid Notice of Termination: (ii) Proof of their income, (iii) evidence that they have a long term right to reside in the country.

An applicant tenant household must have net annual income of below €66,000 per annum for Dublin and €59,000 for everywhere else in the country. Net income means that income tax, Universal Social Charge, PRSI and superannuation contributions are deducted from the relevant assessable gross income.

If the local authority is satisfied that the applicant tenant household is eligible for CRTiS they will pass the details of the tenant and the property to the Housing Agency for consideration for potential acquisition under the CRTiS Scheme. The Housing Agency will then engage with the tenant and the tenant’s landlord with a view to acquiring the property.

If a tenant has a query about Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ they can contact the Housing Agency via email at tenantinsitu@housingagency.ie

CLICK HERE - CRTiS - A Guide for Tenants and Property Owners

CLICK HERE - Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ Privacy Notice

The Housing for All plan encourages the use of modern methods of construction to improve, support and accelerate delivery of housing. To facilitate the adoption of modern methods of construction, The Housing Agency's Procurement unit have developed a guidance document for the provision of "design and build" housing projects using modern methods of construction.

This guidance document provides a contractual mechanism for encouraging the use of Modern Methods of Construction through the use of Capital Works Management Framework, PW-CF2 Public Works Contracts for Building Works Designed by the Contractor.

In support of this strategy, the Housing Agency Procurement and Delivery Unit will also supply technical services and supports in the area of modern methods of construction.

To access the guidance document please visit: Guide for use of PW-CF2 Public Works Contract for Building Works Designed by the Contractor.

January

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage released their monthly homelessness report for December 2022, which found that 8,190 adults and 3,442 children were accessing homeless accommodation during the week of 19th December to 25th December. The “Town Centre Living” architectural design competition was launched by Minister Darragh O’Brien and President of the RIAI, Charlotte Sheridan. The Housing Agency and AHBRA appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts on 19th January to examine financial statements from 2020/21 and the Housing Agency Revolving Acquisition Fund. The Committee also met with representatives from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 26th January. On 17th January, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage met with the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) to discuss the most recent reports of NOAC’s oversight of the performance of local authorities. The committee also met with Longford and Mayo County Councils on 24th January.

February

The Housing for All Q4 Progress Report was published during Q1 2023, which indicated during 2022 29,851 new homes were completed. Figures relating to the Voids Programme were also published, showing 2,307 vacant social homes were brought back into active use in 2022.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage held several meetings relating to the pre-legislative scrutiny of both the Marine Protected Areas Bill and the Draft Planning and Development Bill 2022. The committee heard from the following representatives throughout January: UCD, Wind Energy Ireland, Irish Environmental Network, Fair Seas Ireland, Irish Wildlife Trust, Birdwatch Ireland, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, OPR, An Bord Pleanála, CIF, Irish Institutional Property and Property Industry Ireland.  

March

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage released their monthly homelessness report for January 2023, which found that 8,323 adults and 3,431 children were accessing homeless accommodation during the week of 23rd-29th January. From 1 March, new improvements to the local authority home loan have been introduced and prices of homes eligible for a local authority home loan have been increased nationwide as have income limits of those eligible to apply for a loan. On 15th March, the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, along with the Heritage Council, announced that 11 historic towns will share €1.3 million funding under the 2023 Historic Towns Initiative (HTI).

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage continued the scrutiny of the Draft Planning and Development Bill 2022, hearing from the following representatives: CCMA, AILG, Local Authority Members Association, Northern and Western Regional Assembly, Royal Town Planning Institute, Irish Planning Institute, Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance, residents’ associations and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

On 7th March, Minister Darragh O’Brien announced the phasing out of the winter eviction ban in accordance with the terms of the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022. This Act provided for a stay on eviction notices for the period up to 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023. Minister O’Brien also informed Cabinet of plans to give a number of new opportunities to tenants who wish to become homeowners.

Publications

15th February – ESRI –Exploring rent pressure zones: Ireland’s recent rent control regime

20th February – ESRI – Housing adequacy and child outcomes in early and middle childhood

February 2023 – NESC – Private Rental in Ireland

15th March – The Housing Agency - Multi-Unit Developments & Owners’ Management Companies: A Compilation of Writing from The Housing Agency

16th March – ESRI – The RTB Rent Index, Q3 2022

The 2023 Housing Practitioners' Conference will take place at The Strand Hotel in Limerick on Thursday, 11 May and Friday, 12 May 2023 (half day).

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien T.D., will open the Conference which will involve a day and a half of expert speakers and workshops discussing best practice and policy on housing, under the umbrella of Housing for All: Lessons from Practice.

The Conference is organised as a joint-initiative between The Housing Agency and the Institute of Public Administration.

To register for the conference visit: Housing Practitioners' Conference (ipa.ie).

The conference programme can be downloaded here: Housing Practitioners' Conference Programme.

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, 9th March 2023

The Housing Agency announces five new appointments to its board

The Housing Agency has today (09.03.2023) announced five new additions to its board. The new five new board members joined following the retirement of three members and a recruitment campaign; and the number of board members has increased from 9 to 11.

The new additions to the board are:

• Carol Tancock, who has over 25 years’ experience working for leading European Financial Institutions and specialises in Commercial Real Estate/Infrastructure financing and portfolio management. 
• Dervla Tierney, a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Institute of Directors and a Social Entrepreneur. Ms. Tierney has specific knowledge and experience in finance, corporate governance, compliance and risk management.
• Eileen Gleeson, the former Director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive where she was responsible for delivering a response to those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness for the Dublin Region (four Dublin Local Authorities) under the aegis of Dublin City Council. 
• Éadaoin Ní Chléirigh, who is Director of Development Operations with the Irish Council for Social Housing. Ms. Ní Chléirigh was previously CEO of Richmond Barracks, and oversaw the restoration, and its subsequent opening as a city museum in Dublin.
• Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council who has worked in the local government sector for 34 years in a variety of different roles and authorities.

Speaking today about the new appointments, Michael Carey, Chair of the board, said: "I am delighted to welcome five new members to the board of The Housing Agency. The new members bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise across a range of areas of importance when it comes to the delivery of housing and sustainable communities, namely in the areas of finance, accountancy, risk, and homelessness.

"It is also heartening to see that for the first time, the majority of our board members are women, which is a progressive step forward. We look forward to working with the new members over the coming years. The Housing Agency has a key role in terms of the future of the housing sector and is a valuable resource in delivering ' Housing for All'."

Further information on governance structure of The Housing Agency is available here: www.housingagency.ie/our-organisation.  

ENDS

Contact: Sorcha MacMahon / Áine Kenny, Alice Public Relations, Tel: 087-7585337 / 086-3920452, Email: media@alicepr.com

Notes to Editors:

• Three board members were appointed following a recruitment campaign by the Board Appointments Service; and two members were nominated by the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the Irish Council for Social Housing, in line with statutory requirements.  

Carol Tancock

Carol has over 25 years’ experience working for leading European Financial Institutions and specialises in Commercial Real Estate/Infrastructure financing and portfolio management.  Currently based in Dublin, she has spent several years working overseas (London, Germany and Asia). She holds an MSc in Investment and Treasury from DCU and completed the Diploma in Corporate Governance with the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School along with the Chartered Director Certificate and Diploma with the Institute of Directors Ireland.  She served on the Board of Co-operative Housing Ireland from 2017-2022 and was Chair of the Audit, Assurance and Finance Committee.

Dervla Tierney

Dervla is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Institute of Directors and a Social Entrepreneur. Dervla has specific knowledge and experience in Finance, Corporate Governance, Compliance and Risk Management. She is also a Director of Middletown Centre for Autism, Wexford Local Development and The Enniscorthy Forum, which are non-profit organisations that support educational, social, economic and sustainability goals across the community.

Dervla also has voluntary roles as Chair of the Ferns Diocesan Safeguarding Committee, a member of the Credit Committee of the local credit union in Enniscorthy, and in community/ stakeholder engagement in projects aimed at developing the potential of the town.

Eileen Gleeson

Eileen Gleeson is the former Director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive where she was responsible for delivering a response to those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness for the Dublin Region (four Dublin Local Authorities) under the aegis of Dublin City Council.  A career public servant she worked with Dublin City Council for over 40years until her retirement in January 2021.

Eileen held several key leadership roles in the Local Authority throughout her career and spent over 30years in Housing Services. She was instrumental in ensuring the expansion of the Approved Housing Body Sector in the delivery of Social Housing in Dublin City.

Eileen is a Board member of Approved Housing Body Regulatory Authority since its establishment in February 2021.

Éadaoin Ní Chléirigh

Éadaoin Ní Chléirigh is Director of Development Operations with the ICSH, with responsibility for internal operations, the ICSH development team and its work with the wider membership.

She oversees the work of the ICSH Finance Working Group and has been centrally involved in supporting ICSH members and AHBS in meeting commitments under Housing for All as well as representing the ICSH on the Cork and Galway housing delivery fora.

Prior to the Irish Council for Social Housing, Éadaoin was CEO of Richmond Barracks, a Dublin City regeneration project. Having proposed the Barracks as a social regeneration project, she oversaw the restoration, and its subsequent opening as a city museum in Dublin.

Éadaoin has a long track record in community development and was CEO two Dublin City Council regeneration projects in Dublin’s south inner city. She has worked with the local authority, community interests and housing associations in the delivery of new social housing and refurbishment projects, as well as spearheading research and sourcing funding for a variety of  social projects in these areas. Eadaoin was a co-founder and manager for 10 years of Meitheal Development Ltd a successful management consultancy and training agency, working with numerous community and voluntary organisations throughout the country.

Éadaoin’s academic background includes, social policy conflict resolution and negotiation, and she holds a Masters in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from NUIM.

Kevin Kelly

A native of County Galway, Kevin is Chief Executive of Mayo County Council and has worked in the local government sector for 34 years in a variety of different roles and authorities including Dublin County Council, Galway City Council, Laois County Council, Carlow County Council, Kildare County Council and more recently in Galway County Council where he held the position of Chief Executive between 2014 and 2021.

Previous posts held by Kevin include Director of Corporate Services and Human Resources, Director of Planning and Economic Development and Director of Community and Enterprise as well as Town Manager for Ballinasloe Town Council.

Kevin has been a member of a number of Boards including Galway Rural Development , Galway Cultural Development and Activity and Ireland West Airport and currently contributes to a number of national committees including as Chair of the CCMA’s Housing Building and Land Use Committee while he also Chairs the group tasked with the introduction of e-planning across all local authorities. Kevin holds a B.A. in Public Management.

About The Housing Agency

The Housing Agency supports the development of sustainable communities across Ireland. It works to meet the nation’s housing needs by:

• Rolling out new housing projects and co-ordinating programmes that can transform how we live. 
• Using data and research to provide evidence-based solutions.
• Advising the Government on housing policies.
• Collaborating with all those involved in the housing sector in Ireland to ensure we are working as effectively as possible. 

A State-funded body governed by an independent Board, The Housing Agency works mainly with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and non-profit housing providers.

Follow The Housing Agency on Twitter: @HousingAgencyIE.

Join The Housing Agency's on the 8th February at 12pm for the launch of the Residential Satisfaction during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Ireland 2020 research report. This study is the third in the Housing Agency series National Study of Housing Experiences, Attitudes and Aspirations in Ireland. Previous reports were published in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 National Study of Housing Experiences, Attitudes and Aspirations in Ireland aims to measure householders’ satisfaction levels with homes and neighbourhoods, and also their future housing aspirations. The study took place in December 2020, ten months into the pandemic. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on householders was assessed through new questions.

The Housing Agency's research analyst Anne Murphy will provide an overview of the research and its key findings. Associate Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin, Ronan Lyons will provide a response to the research. 

You can register for this online event at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h8LZj7C7SMCgZmCrTQ669w

Anne Murphy

Anne Murphy joined the Agency as a Research Analyst in September 2020 and has worked on a range of research projects. The main focus of Anne’s work is the Agency’s behaviours and attitudes national survey series. Before joining the Agency, Anne managed a medical library, was an information specialist on systematic review teams and served for over a decade on a Health Research Ethics Committee.

Ronan Lyons

Ronan is an Associate Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin, where his primary research areas are housing markets, urban economics, and economic history. He is also a Research Associate at the Spatial Economics Research Centre in LSE and author of the Daft.ie Reports on Ireland’s sale and rental housing markets. 

He is an active contributor to the policy debate on housing in Ireland with many articles published in national media and is a familiar commentator to many in the sector. 

Why and how governments intervene in land markets; land value tax; public land leasing; and inclusionary zoning are just some of the topics set to feature in a new series of talks organised by The Housing Agency, The Land Development Agency, and the Geary Institute of Public Policy, UCD.

“Talking about Land” is a series of seven talks which will examine how governments in other countries intervene in the management of state lands and land markets to ensure there is adequate affordable housing supply. International experts will share their experiences with Irish practitioners and explore how they can apply their practices to an Irish context.  Each event will see an international speaker sharing a case study of land management in their respective country, followed by a speaker working in housing and land management in Ireland. 

The events will take place at 12pm on Tuesdays between early October and February 2023. The full programme is as follows:

The first session took place on Tuesday 4 October, 2022, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included Prof. Julie Lawson of RMIT University Melbourne, and Prof. Michelle Norris, Director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD. If you would like to rewatch the first session visit our YouTube channel. 

The second session took place on Tuesday 18 October, 2022, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included Silvia Hofer, Wohnfonds Wien and Niall Cussen, Office of the Planning Regulator. If you would like to rewatch the second session visit our YouTube channel. 

The third session took place on Tuesday 1 November, 2022, 12pm-1pm Speakers included Sami Haapanen, Helsinki City Council and Tom O'Donnell, Self-Organised Architecture Ireland. If you would like to rewatch the third session visit our YouTube channel. 

The fourth session took place on Tuesday 15 November, 2022, 12pm-1pm.  Speakers included Benjamin Davy, University of Johannesburg and Dearbhla Lawson, Land Development Agency. If you would like to rewatch the fourth session visit our YouTube channel. 

The fifth session took place on Tuesday 17 January, 2023, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included Professor Tony Crook, University of Sheffield and Damian Thomas, NESC.  If you would like to rewatch the fifth session visit our YouTube channel. 

The sixth session took place on Tuesday, 24 January, 2023, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included  Dr. Fabian Wenner (University of Munich) and Dr. Ronan Lyons (Trinity College Dublin). If you would like to rewatch the sixth session visit our YouTube channel. 

The seventh, and final session in the series took place on Tuesday, 7 February, 2023, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included John Wacher (Greater London Authority) and Daniel McLoughlin (South Dublin County Council). If you would like to rewatch the seventh session visit our YouTube channel. 

If you have any questions about the series, please contact training@housingagency.ie.

On the 11th January 2023, The Housing Agency in partnership with the Irish Architectural Foundation, organised an event entitled Unlocking Access & Inclusion. This event featured contributions from architectural and disability experts, who provided practical advise and information on how to promote independent living through design and policy. 

First to speak was Nicola Ryan. Nicola is a Grade 2 Conservation Architect and co-director of Studio Red Architects. She discussed her recently completed family’s home located in a co-housing development in Chapelizod. Her family home was designed around the specific needs of her son with autism, epilepsy, and mobility issues. Her excellent presentation brought to light the importance and possibilities of good design in supporting access and inclusion for all members of her family. 

Nicola was followed by Michelle Thunder, the CEO of Saint John of God Housing Association, which provides housing for people with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues and people who are ageing. Michelle spoke about the current model for housing for people with an intellectual disability in Ireland, the challenges for architecture and the solutions delivered by Saint John of God Housing Association. 

Shelly Gaynor spoke next. She has been a disability activist for over 20 years and has lived independently for the last 13 with support from personal assistants in the Fingal area. Shelly presented on how her own home has been adapted to promote independent living.

The final presentation was delivered by Annamie Pretorius, a South African born architect, living and working in Ireland since 2002. Annemarie discussed the Rowlestown social housing scheme, which delivered universal and age friendly designed housing.