Vacant Homes Action Plan for County

2017-2021 Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021

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Contents Page

Introduction 1

Local Context 1

Incentives to bring vacant homes back into use 5

Actions to address vacant private housing 7

Actions to address vacant social housing 9

Implementation of Action Plan and summary of actions 11 Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021 Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021

Introduction

National housing policy, as outlined in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness , provides a multi-stranded approach to significantly increase the level of housing to address housing needs nationwide. Utilising existing housing stock is a key Pillar of this Plan together with the development of an overall national vacant housing re-use strategy. This strategy will be developed using detailed Census 2016 results, as well as up-to-date data to outline actions which would have the greatest effect in getting vacant homes back into use.

There are a number of wide ranging reasons which lead to vacancy such as population decline, migration, age and quality of housing. While a certain level of vacancy is to be expected, short term vacancies are mainly as a result of changing ownerships or renovations. Long term vacancies can have a negative impact on an area, especially in an urban environment as it contributes to urban decay.

Roscommon County Council will identify the level of vacancy in the following settlements of the county: Roscommon Town, Monskland/Bellanamullia, , , , , , Elphin and Hodson Bay. The Council will also set targets for what vacant homes can be brought back into use, whether for sale or rent or indeed social housing purposes.

Local Context

Census 2016 figures show the total housing stock in Co. Roscommon as 31,285. Of these houses, 5,323 or 17% were identified as being vacant. This is a reduction from the 7,332 houses that were identified as being vacant in the 2011 Census. The countywide vacancy rate according to the Census 2016 data is mapped in Figure 1 below.

> 33.6 to 62 > 23.7 to 33.6 > 17.6 to 23.7 >12.5 to 17.6 >7 to 12.5 0 to 7

Figure 1: Small Areas Census 2016 Vacancy Rate

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The Geodirectory is an extensive database of each building in the country and is updated on an ongoing basis. The figures from the Geodirectory show the total number of vacant houses in Co. Roscommon as 2,978. The county wide vacancy rate according to the Geodirectory is shown in Figure 2 below.

> 24 to 35 > 17.8 to 24 > 12.6 to 17.8 > 8.2 to 12.6 > 4 to 8.2 0 to 4

Figure 2: Small Areas Geodirectory Vacancy Rate 2017

As an initial analysis of vacancy, the geodirectory database was identified, given that it is based on the most recent data on vacancy available at this time. This included a comprehensive information gathering exercise to compile a database of the level of vacancy, with a priority at this stage given to the settlement centres as set out in the settlement hierarchy of the County Development Plan 2014-2020.

These settlements are: • Roscommon Town • Monskland/Bellanamullia • Boyle • Castlerea • Ballaghaderreen • Cortober • Strokestown • Elphin • Hodson Bay

Figure 3: Settlements identified for detailed analysis

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These figures show that there are a total of 915 vacant houses in these settlements. This represents an average vacancy rate of 9.3% in these settlements. The highest vacancy is in Ballaghaderreen with a vacancy rate of 17.78% while (incl. Monksland) had the lowest vacancy rate at 1.08%.

The vacancy numbers in the identified settlements for both Census 2016 and Geodirectory data are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

Total number Total no. of Vacancy of houses in vacant rate (%) area houses

Roscommon 2611 351 13.44 Athlone incl Monk- 1759 92 5.23 sland Ballaghaderreen 1181 383 32.43 Boyle 1411 288 20.41 Castlerea 1235 336 27.20 Strokestown 553 157 28.39 Cortober 462 154 33.33 Elphin 382 105 27.47 Hodson Bay/ 223 15 6.73 Barrymore Table 1: Vacancy Rates according to Census 2016

It is important to note that the figures compiled from the Geodirectory include privately owned houses as well as those owned by the Roscommon County Council. These houses have a capacity to provide for the private rental market as well as social housing.

Total number Total no. Vacancy rate of houses in of vacant (%) area houses Roscommon 2481 187 7.54 Athlone incl Monk- 1647 19 1.54 sland Ballaghaderreen 1157 210 18.15 Boyle 1452 168 11.57 Castlerea 1193 151 12.66 Strokestown 521 77 14.78 Cortober 454 51 11.23 Elphin 374 47 12.57 Hodson Bay/ 196 5 2.55 Barrymore Table 2: Vacancy Rates according to Geodirectory

In relation to the vacant homes in private ownership, Roscommon County Council will identify the registered owners of these properties. The owners will be contacted and advised of their options to bring their properties back into use for either private or social housing purposes.

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With regard to social housing, Roscommon County Council will aim to fill any vacant housing stock along with providing additional social housing units. The Council will also continue to provide support to the social housing rental market with initiatives such as Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), Repair and Lease Scheme (RLS) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).

In order to survey the settlements in a comprehensive manner, a mobile app based GIS survey for the purpose of recording information related to the vacancy status of properties was created. This collector app included all properties in the settlements and the boundaries which were determined by the settlement boundaries as defined by Census 2016. Staff will be assigned to carry out the surveys on all properties within these settlements to determine a level of vacancy. Once surveyed it gave a real time picture of vacancy in the principle settlements of the county.

Each vacant property will be mapped and the information is to be shared with the vacanthomes.ie website which has been set up as a central portal for individuals to log possible vacant properties throughout the country.

In accordance with recommendations from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Roscommon County Council have designated an Empty Homes Officer to act as a point of contact for members of the public to provide information on the options/incentives available for bringing vacant homes back into use. This Empty Homes Officer will also be responsible for co-ordinating the development of the Action Plans and subsequent implementation of relevant actions. A primary objective of the designated Officer will be to collect accurate and up-to-date information on the location and ownership of empty homes and maintain a database of such homes, facilitate their return to productive use.

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Incentives to bring vacant homes back into use

Once the vacancy rates have been established, the next step is to identify all the available incentives to bring these vacant homes back into use. The Council will make contact with the registered owners of the properties and inform the owners of the options which may be available to them and the incentive which best meets the requirements of both the Council and the property owner.

Acquisitions The ability to acquire vacant homes and to return them to productive use is a key element to the Vacant Homes Action Plan. Acquisition thresholds set by the Department will form the basis for discussions with owners. In some instances, the Council will seek to work in partnership with an Approved Housing Body in order to secure acquisition.

Repair and Lease Scheme Departmental guidance was received for the “Repair & Lease Scheme” under the “Rebuilding Ireland” Action Plan which is aimed at encouraging property owners to refurbish vacant residential properties in order to provide them by way of lease for the benefit of those on the housing waiting list. The scheme is aimed at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford the repairs needed to bring their property up to the standard for renting.

Subject to the property being suitable for the provision of social housing, the cost of the repairs will be met by the Local Authority or an Approved Housing Body (AHB). There are a number of requirements in relation to the scheme: • The property has to be vacant for at least 12 months prior to submission: proof of vacancy will be required • There has to be a social housing demand for the property • The property has to be assessed as being viable to provide social housing

If the property meets these requirements it will be inspected by Local Authority or AHB staff who will identify the works required to bring the house up to the required standard. If the owner wishes to enter into a lease arrangement to make the property available for social housing with the local authority or AHB, the following conditions will apply: • The minimum lease term is 10 years, 15 years or 20 years depending on the cost of the upgrade works; • the lease payments will based on: • The general terms of social leasing which is set at 80% (85% for apartments) of the current market rental rates in the property location • A further adjustment to the lease payment to off-set the cost of the repair/upgrade work until the cost of the work has been repaid; • The scope and cost of the works required to meet the standards, and the recoupment of the works cost through the lease payments, will be agreed between the owner and the Local Authority/AHB.

Buy and Renew Scheme This initiative funds Local Authorities and AHBs (the latter using the ‘Capital Assistance Scheme for priority housing categories) to purchase and renew housing units in need of remediation, and make them available for social housing use. Again, it is subject to the suitability of the property for social housing, the condition of the property and the cost of remediation. There is real potential for Local Authorities to acquire properties that are vacant and where there is a need for social housing, to remediate them and make them available to those on the waiting list. A detailed condition survey of all properties being considered will be carried out prior to any agreements being finalised. 5 Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021

Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is a social housing support introduced to cater for the accommodation needs of persons who are in receipt of rent supplement and living in the private rented sector for 18 months or more and on the Social Housing Waiting List. It is envisaged that the RAS would provide an additional source of good quality rented accommodation for those in need. The local authority will enter into contractual arrangements with accommodation providers to secure the medium to long-term availability of private rental accommodation for RAS. While different contract types may be entered into, they will all contain the following elements: • The local authority will pay the full rent to the landlord on behalf of the tenant • The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2015 will govern the relationship between the landlord and the tenant • The landlord must be tax compliant (tax clearance certificate must be renewed annually and contracts will be produced in the name that appears on the cert) • The property must meet minimum standards for private rental accommodation, as determined by the local authority • The landlord must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) Long Term Leasing Scheme Long Term Leasing (LTL) was introduced to cater for the accommodation needs of persons who have a long term housing need. Properties are leased from private owners and used to accommodate households from the housing waiting list.

Long Term Leasing involves a three-way relationship between the Landlord, Tenant and the Local Authority. The form of the contract entered into will set out the general responsibilities of all three parties. This is a separate scheme to the Rental Accommodation Scheme and is for property owners who want long term guaranteed income but do not want to be responsible for the day to day requirements of managing tenants or maintaining a residential property. In assessing the suitability of a property for leasing, the Council will firstly consider the demand for social housing in the area and its objective of achieving sustainable communities by having a good balance of mixed income and mixed tenure households. LTL offers the landlord a guaranteed rental income without the requirement of rent collection and finding a new tenant, tenancy management, and day to day maintenance costs. Notably Leases under this scheme will range from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 20 years. Compulsory Purchase The acquisition of land by a Housing Authority through the use of CPO is set out in section 76 of the Housing Act, 1966. Section 77 of the Act empowers Housing Authorities to compulsorily purchase land that may not be immediately needed by the Authority if the purpose of the purchase is to fulfil one of the Authority’s housing objectives, as laid out in section 55(3) of the Act. Of these objectives, those listed in subsections 55(3)(b), 55(3)(c) and 55(3)(d) appear to be the most pertinent to current housing requirements.

These include; (a) the elimination of overcrowding; (b) the provision of adequate and suitable accommodation for persons (including elderly or disabled persons) who, in the opinion of the authority, are in need of and are unable to provide such accommodation from their own resources; (c) the provision of adequate housing accommodation to meet needs arising from obsolescence of dwellings or the prospective increase in the population.

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Actions to address vacant private housing

From the initial assessment of vacancy from the Geodirectory database, it became clear that the largest amount of vacancy exists in the private housing stock. The Council will initiate a number of actions to address this vacant stock.

Town Centre Enhancement and Framework Plans The Town Centre Planning Unit have initiated work on Town Centre Enhancement Plans in an effort to regenerate and revitalise the core areas of many of the settlements in the County. This work is being carried out in partnership with the Town Teams and relevant stakeholders in each settlement.

In the study areas there are many instances where ground floor commercial units are occupied but the spaces above the street, originally laid out as residences lie vacant. Historically these spaces would have been the family homes which brought life and diversity to the Town centre up to the mid 20 th century which saw the mass movement of residential communities away to suburban areas and the countryside. While it would be naive to assume that all of the upper floor units, originally laid out as residences could be returned to family occupation, some of these may be suitable for those seeking to enter the housing market, couples or those who live alone. Others may be suitable for amalgamation into a single family residence of sufficient scale to become an attractive alternative to suburban single use pods as a family lifestyle choice, when taken in conjunction with other initiatives such as public realm enhancements and green and blue initiatives providing the access nature which underpins the suburban ideal .

Figure 4: Adapting existing residential units

Bringing back these units into productive use can be achieved by implementing the following: • Remodel existing residential spaces as attractive but in many cases compact modern units. • Amalgamate two or more smaller vacant residential units above ground floor level to form a single high quality residential unit developed as an attractive alternative to a suburban dwelling. In many cases this may involve the establishment of a profit sharing development partnership between two or more property owners. • Amalgamate existing upper storey residential space into a larger mid block residential development forming either large townhouses or higher density residential housing scheme, with associated amenity spaces and pedestrian access.

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Age Friendly Town Centre Housing Older residents have a unique symbiosis with town centre life as they are typically proportionally less likely to require large residential spaces or space intensive car parking. As a greater proportion of older people engage with the street by foot rather than by car they are therefore also more likely to frequent a range of smaller commercial units closer to home for midweek convenience items rather than use larger single use retail anchors outside the town core. Town improvements can mean that vacant homes in town centres become more viable for the older demographic.

Completion of Unfinished Housing Developments Roscommon County Council are actively engaged, through the Unfinished Housing Developments team, with developers to ensure completion in line with planning.

The Unfinished Housing Developments team has been working to resolve the unfinished housing developments in the county in a number of ways including: • Engaging with relevant parties to agree and implement Site Resolution Plans • Pursuing enforcement action for non compliance with planning permission, where it has not been possible to agree a solution • Continuing to utilise the Framework for the Provision of Consultant Civil Engineering Services on Unfinished Housing Development Site Resolution Projects (which was established in 2015) as a procurement mechanism. Advanced stages of the Framework were undertaken in 2016, resulting in Consultant Civil Engineers being appointed in 6 housing developments. • Preparing a successful submission to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, resulting in an allocation of €224,468 to Roscommon County Council under the National Taking in Charge Initiative, with the funds being allocated to nine specific housing developments in order to bring them to a satisfactory standard capable of being taken in charge .

The Planning and Housing Departments will continue to liaise with developers and Approved Housing Bodies to acquire, where appropriate, any remaining units in Unfinished Housing Developments in the county.

Vacanthomes.ie A link on Roscommon County Council’s homepage to www.vacanthomes.ie has been established. This is a national website developed on behalf of the local government sector as a central portal for individuals to (anonymously) register possible vacant properties in their area and alert Local Authorities who can then follow up with the owners to see whether the house can be reused quickly. This website should also provide some useful information and advice to property owners as to what steps are currently needed to bring their houses back into use. The Council will also regularly advertise in local media seeking expressions of interest from the owners of vacant houses to bring them back into productive use.

Acquisition of sites The Council will prioritise the acquisition of housing units that are vacant and are recorded on the vacant property list including houses which may have been inspected as part of Derelict Sites legislation. The Empty Homes Officer will make contact with the registered owners of all identified vacant units to offer the suite of incentives to bring houses back into use. The acquisition of houses will be an option available subject to delegated sanction and cost thresholds set out by the Department.

Where agreement cannot be reached to acquire houses in certain locations that contribute to urban decay or affect the sustainability of communities, the Council will consider use of Compulsory Purchase powers in line with relevant legislation.

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Actions to address vacant social housing

Roscommon County Council carries out a range of housing functions to meet the accommodation needs of those who are unable to do so from their own resources where possible. Social housing supports are provided by the allocation of Council owned units and through the facilitation of tenancies via the Rental Accommodation Scheme, Housing Assistance Payment, Long Term Leasing and by implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2014-2018. Housing Stock is increased by way of return of voids/derelicts, acquisitions, turnkey developments, unfinished estates and construction projects depending on available finances and housing need. Other functions include maintenance/improvement/energy upgrade works to Local Authority housing units, homelessness, housing grants, inspections of private rented dwellings, administration of Tenant Purchase and Choice Based Letting schemes. The delivery targets for Roscommon County Council for 2017-2021 are outlined in Table 3.

Delivery Mechanism Units to be provided

LA Refurbishments (vacated and re-let) 200 Approved Housing Bodies 97 Turn-key 30

Individual acquisitions including Buy and Re- 86 new, CPO, unfinished estates

PPP/B2 Long-term-leasing 53 Direct Build 2

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Total for 2017-2021 (estimate excluding re- 278 lets) Table 3: Roscommon County Council 2017-2021 Delivery Target

Vacant housing offers significant opportunities to provide permanent homes for those that need them most urgently. Local Authorities have a crucial role in both meeting the housing needs of those most in need as well as enabling private home owners to bring their homes back into use for social housing purposes.

In managing existing housing stock, a certain level of vacancy would be expected as a portion of the units available for social housing will be vacant for repair works between tenancies. The length of this vacancy can depend on the works required in the units as well as the speed at which new tenancies are secured. Good practice would also require that a certain level of vacancy is maintained to ensure availability to respond to those in urgent need of housing.

The administration of these vacancies, or voids, is a key aspect in achieving good practice in housing management. Keeping voids to a minimum, ensures that applicants for housing are accommodated as quickly as possible and existing tenants to not have to live adjacent to vacant houses which may be subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour. In residential estates where there are a large number of vacant properties, it leads to a sense on neglect and dereliction which in turn leads to the physical and social decline of the area. The management of voids is also significant from a financial perspective. Casual vacancy (pre-letting) works are carried out by RCC as soon as possible in order to maximise use of stock and prevent houses from becoming voids.

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The Council’s void management strategies are based on guidance and best practice advice from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government including ‘Managing Voids: Co-ordinating the Monitoring & Repair and Allocation of Vacant Dwellings’ – Good Practice in Housing Management Guidelines for Local Authorities – Department of the Environment 2001 and ‘Effective Void Management in Ireland’ – Housing Agency 2017.

Prior to 2016, vacant units, particularly those in medium to low areas of demand awaited confirmation of acceptance from a client prior to renovation. In 2016 Housing Section renovated a backlog of 80 void properties and re-tenanted these. The list was gone through at the same time as the works were completed and those refusing for a second time were suspended from the list. This was the highest number of returned units achieved in recent years and brought vacancy rates down to manageable levels.

The 2016-2017 voids programme has been completed and voids have been effectively eliminated. Vacant stock has been reduced from approximately 10 % to 3.5% as a result. These units are waiting to be sold or are unavailable due to anti-social behaviour or special designation e.g. reserved as emergency accommodation units. While this programme can be seen as a success, its continued operation will ensure that the housing stock is maintained to a high level while enabling occupancy of the existing housing stock.

Roscommon County Council owns circa 1,400 housing units which represents 4.47% of total housing stock in the county. In addition the Housing Associations own circa 178 units while 425 houses are rented under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and a further 168 through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). This gives a total of almost 2,171 homes in which are either directly or indirectly used for social housing purposes which represents 6.94% of total housing stock in the county.

Roscommon County Council’s allocations procedure is based on its list of letting priorities with particular emphasis on length of time on the list and matching applicants with appropriate accommodation. Choice based letting (CBL) can be used for allocating social housing in a way that can offer increased choice and involvement for applicant households in selecting a new home and thereby reduces the likelihood of a refusal and ongoing vacancy in social housing stock. Roscommon County Council has not rolled out Choice Based Letting (CBL) based on a short-term assessment of resources versus benefit but acknowledges a longer-term assessment of this policy is required. The Council will assess the CBL procedure with an aim to roll out the initiative in the lifetime of this plan.

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Implementation of Action Plan and summary of actions

The Council will implement the following measures to monitor the progress in implementing the Action Plan and addressing vacancy levels on an ongoing basis.

Who is Objective 1 Assess the “real time” level of vacancy in County Roscommon responsible Engage with local communities, Town Teams, Elected Members Empty Homes Officer Action 1 and members of the public to identify vacant properties

Accurately map the location and extent of vacant homes in the Empty Homes Officer Action 2 County

Action 3 Initiate a programme for ongoing assessment of vacancy levels Empty Homes Officer

Work with property owners in an effort to bring vacant proper- Objective 2 ties back into use

Empty Homes Officer Action 4 Identify the registered owners of the properties

Contact the owners on the options and incentives available to Empty Homes Officer Action 5 assist in bringing their properties back into use for private or social housing purposes

Reduce the number of privately owned vacancy homes in the Objective 3 County Undertake the preparation of Town Centre Enhancement and Town Centre Planning Action 6 Framework Plans to improve the core areas of urban settlements Unit in the County Unfinished Housing The Councils Housing and Planning Departments will liaise with Developments Team, developers and Approved Housing Bodies to acquire, where Action 7 Empty Homes Officer, appropriate, remaining units in Unfinished Housing Housing Developments in the county Department Where agreement cannot be reached to acquire houses in certain locations that contribute to urban decay or affect the Empty Homes Officer, Action 8 sustainability of communities the Council will consider use of Corporate Compulsory Purchase powers in line with available legislation Services

Reduce the number of Council owned vacancy homes in the Objective 4 County Continue to implement the void management strategy to Housing Action 9 maintain the low level of voids in the county Department A comprehensive database of all dwellings will be maintained, along with reliable procedures to ensure that tenants provide Housing Action 10 adequate notice of their intention to vacate a dwelling and Department systems to identify abandoned and illegally occupied dwellings are maintained Facilitate the roll out of the Choice based letting initiative in the Housing Action 11 lifetime of this plan Department 11