Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 May 2023
184. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to give councils and the Housing Agency any flexibility with the income limits for cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme to ensure that applicants whose income is just over the upper income limit for cost rental are not excluded from the tenant-in-situ scheme and thus rendered homeless. [25457/23]
View answerThe Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) Scheme was introduced as an interim measure, developed on an administrative basis, to address the immediate circumstances of the ending of the 'Winter Emergency Period' on 31 March 2023. This temporary scheme is available where a tenant faces the termination of a tenancy due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. The scheme is available if the tenant household:
• is not able to or intending to purchase the property from the landlord,
• does not own other residential property,
• is assessed by the Local Authority to be at risk of homelessness,
• is not in receipt of social housing supports (i.e. the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or the Residential Accommodation Scheme (RAS)), and
• has an annual net household income of no more than €53,000.
It is the longer-term intention to transition these tenancies and homes to the standard framework for Cost Rental, where rents are set at a level to meet the costs of acquiring, managing, and maintaining the home. It is for this reason that the net household income limit of €53,000 (gross income less income tax, PRSI, USC and superannuation contributions) aligns with the standard income limit set for Cost Rental housing.
If applicant incomes are above the limit to be eligible for cost rental tenant in-situ scheme, tenants can contact their local authority who will be in a position to advise them of other measures which may be appropriate for their specific situation.
