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PAC32-R-1671(I) a Meeting 25/10/2017

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Response to Queries from Public Accounts Committee Details of lands transferred by public bodies 2015 – 2018 to Approved Housing Bodies? The Department does not hold data on lands owned by Approved Housing Bodies (AHB). The oversight of AHBs is currently conducted through the Voluntary Regulation Code (VRC), Building for the Future, A Voluntary Regulation Code for Approved Housing Bodies in Ireland, which is available at the following link: https://www.housingagency.ie/Regulation/The-Code.pdf. While annual regulatory returns for the AHBs, which are signed up to the Code, are submitted to the Housing Agency's Regulation Office, the Regulation Office does not, as a matter of course, collect detailed data on the land owned by AHBs. However, from the Department’s regular and ongoing interactions with AHBs, it is understood that most of these organisations do not have significant amounts of undeveloped lands within their own control, but rely on collaborative arrangements with local authorities to deliver social housing homes and sheltered accommodation on publicly owned lands or enter into agreements with private landowners and developers to deliver turnkey developments for similar uses. In the context of developing the new legislative proposals to establish a statutory regulator for the AHB sector, provision will be made in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2018 to enable the regulator to oversee the functions and performance of the voluntary housing sector, including statutory requirements regarding the submission of annual accounts which would include details of assets held by each Body. As regards land in the ownership of local authorities, every local authority is required to maintain a register of all lands owned or leased. When land is no longer held by the local authority, the date and manner in which the local authority ceased to hold such land and the consideration, if any, paid to the local authority in respect of such land, must also be recorded. 1 In relation to the disposal of land, elected members are required to be notified, under Section 183(1) of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, of any proposal to dispose of land held by a local authority. Such notification must include particulars of the land, the names of the persons from whom the land was acquired and to whom it is to be disposed of, and the consideration proposed in respect of the disposal. Developing the State land bank for housing is a key priority under Rebuilding Ireland. Details of some 1,700 hectares of residential land in local authority and Housing Agency ownership, as well as 30 sites (200 hectares) that are owned by other public bodies/agencies, are available to view and access on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland- land-map/. Residential land data for each local authority can easily be extracted (in excel format) from the Rebuilding Ireland map. 2 Provide in tabular form on a county by county basis, amount of publicly owned available land – show ownership by: LA Department Housing Organisation/Agency Other Include lands in the Land Aggregation Scheme. Provide details in relation to status of land e.g. zoned, serviced, ready for development. The data requested has been extracted from the Rebuilding Ireland Land Map and is enclosed. 3 Briefing Note on Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Background Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan was introduced, with effect from 1 February 2018. The new loan enables credit worthy first time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range. The low rate of fixed interest associated with the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan provides first time buyers with access to mortgage finance that they may not otherwise have been able to afford at a higher interest rate. The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is targeted at first time buyers who wish to own their own home, have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage sufficient for them to purchase their first home. As with the previous local authority loan offerings, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is available to first time buyers only. This is to ensure the effective targeting of limited resources. Applications Process The loans are provided by the local authorities and the applications are assessed by the Housing Agency on their behalf. Based on this rigorous financial analysis, the Housing Agency makes a recommendation to the local authority on each application. These recommendations are considered by the relevant Local Authority’s Credit Committee, who make the final decision in each case. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory Credit Policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants. These are the procedures that all local authorities and the Housing Agency must use when assessing individual applications. 4 Loan applicants who are dissatisfied with a loan application decision of a Credit Committee may appeal that decision to the local authority. Details of the appeals process can be obtained from the relevant local authority. Statistics The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses loan applications that are made to the local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities as to whether loans should be offered to applicants. The most recent figures, as at the end of August, indicate that the Agency had received a total of 2,933 applications for assessment from local authorities. Of the 2,933 applications received, 2,354 were deemed to be valid. Of these valid applications, 2,222 had been assessed and 1,134 of these (51%) had been recommended for approval. A breakdown by local authority of the 2,222 applications assessed and 1,134 applications recommended for approval is set out in the table below. Length of time from the date of loan application to the date of loan approval Recently, a number of local authorities were surveyed in relation to the operation of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme to date. The responses received from local authorities to this survey, along with the records kept by the Housing Agency of the average length of time their assessments take indicate an average time of approximately 7 weeks from submitting a completed application to a local authority to receiving approval under the scheme, which is in line with the expected timeframe of six-eight weeks objective. Each loan approval issued is valid for 6 months to allow applicants time to source a property to purchase. Drawdown of loans recommended by the Housing Agency at end August 2018 Based on Housing Finance Agency information, there have been a total of 57 drawdowns for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The total drawdown to 01/10/2018 is €13,201,438. 5 Applications Applications Local Authority assessed by recommended Housing Agency for approval Carlow County Council 40 15 Cavan County Council 7 1 Clare County Council 40 14 Cork City Council 77 37 Cork County Council 169 93 Donegal County Council 21 13 Dublin City Council 263 163 Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council 53 33 Fingal County Council 321 156 Galway City Council 46 22 Galway County Council 83 32 Kerry County Council 60 26 Kildare County Council 142 72 Kilkenny County Council 22 11 Laois County Council 54 27 Leitrim County Council 9 2 Limerick City & County 46 28 Longford County Council 22 12 Louth County Council 50 19 Mayo County Council 30 13 Meath County Council 155 101 Monaghan County Council 10 2 Offaly County Council 27 10 Roscommon County Council 23 11 Sligo County Council 26 16 South Dublin County Council 167 84 Tipperary County Council 58 23 Waterford City & County Council 20 10 Westmeath County Council 17 11 Wexford County Council 66 33 Wicklow County Council 98 44 Total 2,222 1,134 6 Q: Note on each of the funding schemes to local authorities and other bodies for housing construction Local authority and Approved Housing Body new build activity is supported through the following funding programmes: Social Housing Capital Investment Programme (SHIP) Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) Public Private Partnership (PPP) National Regeneration Programme. Social Housing Capital Investment Programme (SHIP) This programme provides the primary capital funding to local authorities for the provision of social housing by means of construction (including through the Part V mechanism) and acquisition. Total expenditure under this programme in 2017 was €446.5 million. The 2018 budget is €639 million and this will increase to €825 million in 2019. Capital Assistance Scheme The Capital Assistance Scheme provides essential funding to AHBs for the provision of accommodation for people with specific categories of need such as older people, people with disabilities, homeless persons, returning emigrants and victims of domestic violence. The funding is provided by grants to local authorities to enable them to advance loans to AHBs. Funding of up to 100% of the overall approved capital cost of eligible projects may be advanced. Total expenditure under this programme in 2017 was €55 million. The 2018 budget is €88.8 million and this will increase to €94.9 million in 2019. Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) The Department offers financial support to AHBs in the form of a long term loan under CALF to assist with the financing of the construction or acquisition of units that will be provided for social housing use. This loan facility can support up to 30% of 7 the eligible capital cost of the project, where the units will be provided under long term lease arrangements to local authorities for social housing use.
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