How does social housing work ?

You're right, there should be regular reassessment.

But under the current rules, there isn't. The house is his for life, so long as he keeps paying the rent and doesn't do any antisocial behaviour.

The argument is that keeping people like him there raises the social capital of the neighbourhood.

Correct, but some Councils have a maximum rent charge, Kerry:

There's no follow up or reassessment after the initial application. Completely reliant on the honour system. I know a famly who got a council house even though they owned a house. House was one purchased by the council in a nice area, so they took it as it waa in a nicer area to their own house - which they then rented out. Owned house had been inherited from an elderly relative.

15% of Income. It with a max cap.

many don’t ever bother paying it as the council don’t enforce it and are owed millions in Arrears

Their rules are very similar, and their rents are exactly the same for "social housing", which is the major part of what they do.

I know someone, and this is 100% true, who bought a nice apartment in Galway. Rented it out and applied for a council house in their home County and got it!. Was about 20 yrs ago. Told council she owned no property.

A relative now in his late 60s got a one bed council property couple of years ago after about 12 yrs on list, was in private rented accomodation until then under the housing scheme. Came unfurnished, it was old and needed redecoration which he had to do at his own cost, got a grant of about 1k alright to do it but it cost a good bit more than that, there was literally nothing in there no floorcoverings/white goods etc.

Another woman I know has recently got a lovely new house in a recent social scheme, on list about 12 yrs also with 2 children.

I don't think you get them in any way quickly unless pure luck and no one else wants that particular property for some reason!

Waiting lists vary 7 months in Leitrim, to 15 years in Kerry, 16 years in Donegal, 18 years - 20 years in DLR

T'would be €70pw or less in the Kingdom https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121900627/#Comment_121900627

100k for a couple (both working) with kids isnt that much. Its only slightly above average wage.

You would struggle to buy on that salary in average areas in Dublin.

Mixed developments are good, i agree. But the issue at the moment is the councils are renting/buying homes in new developments, on top of the part 5 allocation.

Meaning that ofen, very few of the new homes are available to the private market.

So again, the squeezed middle get squeezed out as they dont qualify for social housing and cant afford the private rent.

The councils should be delivering a lot more cost rental and afforable homes, not just social homes for those on no and low incomes.

The nurses and teachers who emigrate because they cant afford a home should be catered for through affordable and cost rental homes, at scale.

Being honest it's easy say reassess and move them on if it's over a certain amount but in the current housing climate all that would do is incentivse people not to better themselves.

Let's say you've a cap of 40k, go over it, you need to move to the private market. Who would bother taking a job or promotion up to even 60k in this climate unless your partner someone got bumped to similar. You are back into a rental market where you are getting ripped off and could be turfed out anytime and end up moving up to 30 to 60 mins away to your next rental.

Then add kids to the mix. Let's say they grow up in area go to school there, have their friends etc and then overnight the council essentially kicks your family out and you end up in a new school, maybe 30 mins or more away in a new area cause it's the only rental your parents can afford as they are both just over the cap.

Then you've the lovely possibilities of getting moved on, then you get sick or laid off and once again qualify for social housing and get it, only to be possibly moved on again if you get back to work? What happens in cases for a large chunk of the population who might earn just over the cap but never will manage to anywhere near a mortgage and then need social housing again when they retire?

Ya I know there a lot of piss takers out there, especially the career dole merchants but I'd rather leave a person/family who bettered themselves and is working hard in a house then get into a quagmire like the above due to jealous whingers.

I recall a friend of mine moving back in with his dad before he died for a few years (or "moving my bills and stuff") so he could keep the council house after his dad died. :shrug:

All my life I have heard people make claims about things they know nothing about or things they think they know about. Worked in a bar where prices were very low as it was actually a club and only sold selective products which were bought at a discount by not including other brands. Customer would say the spirits were watered down and swore it was true. I took the product in from the supplier and stocked the shelves and nothing was watered down but people still insisted it was true.

I ended up working with civil servants on their systems and they keep records of everything. An MP can certainly get a review of a case but have absolutely no power to change the process or outcome. If a mistake is made it will work out but nothing more. Been like that for decades. Claims of brown envelopes are complete nonsense in such cases. A civil servant is not going to standby and watch somebody get something unfairly not out of honour but because they can't do the same for their own families and it would have to pass by many civil servants to be awarded. Even a rumour will set people off to look up the records and they can report it with out ever giving away who they are.

I am sure you heard stores but they aren't true and impossible to happen. Would you believe a politician could get somebody unemployment benefits for a person without enough contributions? Unless they can reprogram the entire system they can't and the same applies for housing

We are way behind countries like Austria when it comes to social housing, everyone should have the option to live in state housing. The whole thing needs an overhaul, rent should be deducted at source of employment or welfare. You should be able to rent a house from the state and have a good income, paying your fair share of rent. We live in a neo liberal state though, supporting vulture funds far more important.

Are there no checks conducted? Surely the council should be able to liaise with other government bodies 🤦‍♀️

The problem here is that social housing is top tier housing now. Best standards, best locations so its expensive, very expensive to build.

If you build the cheapest possible social housing and people either take them or get off the list then you would get far more people housed.

There is a grant you can apply for to help you get the essentials if you get a new build off the council ,

No you do not automatically inherit a council house in Ireland but there is certain circumstance where you can become the tenant ,Its done on a case to case, Its now not as common as it once was,

Do you realise that your friends on good money in Dublin could buy or rent in many places an hour from Dublin?

You can (and imo should) complain if there are real issues with a new council tenancy in your area

Means any issues can be nipped in the bud, and they can be supported or monitored more closely.

It's a system that suffers hugely when a small minority take the absolute mick

Some councils (not all, yet) have Housing Liaison Officers who would deal with problems in terms of anti-social behaviour, non-payment of rent, neighbourhood liaising and would action any referrals or involvement from other agencies needed such as HSE, Tusla, Gardaí

Try holding people to account for anti social issues and we might get somewhere. Why don't we have as much anti social issues in private housing estates some of which are located beside social housing estates.

No, they never tried it. It was never available to anyone who wants one. It came with a waiting list and a means test. I'm saying, make one house available to everyone. Only a habitual residence is required, meaning it must be your address with revenue and you must be tax resident there and you can't rent it out or sell it.

We pay high enough taxes, may aswell embrace this communist socialist nonsense. I'd wager comparing this to the amount we waste on HAP and one off payments etc , and include the amount of jobs created, this may not cost much more.

(No I'm not being sarcastic, I do think we should build housing for all and then let the private market continue for housing which is different to the standard state issued house (eg country house, farm, one off house etc). I'd stay in my country dwelling free of neighbors for instance, but others may prefer a free 3 bed semi.