Council to hold special meeting over Tenant In Situ scheme

Dublin City Council will hold a special meeting this evening to debate a Sinn Féin motion demanding the Minster for Housing James Browne TD to reinstate the Tenant In Situ scheme.

Councillor Daithí Doolan, Sinn Féin Group Leader on Dublin City Council, said “We can all agree that the Tenant In Situ scheme has been a very useful tool in preventing homelessness in Dublin. Last year alone several hundred families were saved from homelessness because of the Tenant In Situ scheme. The scheme allows local authorities to buy the properties from the landlord where families were facing eviction. This allowed the householder to remain in the home as council tenants.”

“Unfortunately, the minister has not reinstated the scheme this year. This has resulted in dozens of families facing a stressful, precarious future. Some are threatened with homelessness for the second and third time. It is essential that the scheme remains in place without changes that will undermine the scheme. Tomorrow’s meeting is a last-ditch effort to preserve the Tenant In Situ scheme.”

Doolan said “Dublin is at the centre of the housing crisis with 70% of all homelessness in Dublin. To undermine the Tenant In Situ scheme is unacceptable and shows just how out if touch this government really is.”

“The Sinn Féin motion strongly encourages the Minster for Housing James Browne TD to do the right thing and provide Dublin City Council with the maximum amount of flexibility on the operation of the scheme and adequate funding to support tenants at risk of homelessness.”

Doolan said that the motion has cross-party support, and that the meeting would send a “very clear message” to the Minister.

“The minister needs to listen to the largest local authority in the country and immediately reinstate the successful Tenant In Situ scheme,” he said.

The text of the motion reads “we are concerned that proposed restrictions to the scheme will reduce the ability of the Council to do everything it can to prevent people from losing their home.”

“We are particularly concerned that the capital allocation for 2025 will be less than the final spend on the scheme in 2024; that refurbishment costs will be excluded; that an arbitrary 2 year in receipt of social housing support rule will be applied to properties; that single people and couples without children could be excluded from the scheme.”

“We understand that the Minister for Housing James Bowne will sign off on the final shape of the scheme before the end of the month and are urging him to provide Dublin City Council with the maximum amount of flexibility on the operation of the scheme and adequate funding to support tenants at risk of homelessness.”

“We agree to write to the Minister for Housing urging him not to make more adults and children homelessness by approving any restrictions to the operation of the Tenant-In-Situ scheme or reductions in funding to this vital homeless prevention measure.”