Government restrictions to vital homeless prevention scheme will make more renters homeless – Eoin Ó Broin TD
31 March 2025
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has strongly criticised the Minister for Housing James Browne for introducing severe restrictions to the Tenant In Situ Scheme, which he described as a vital homeless prevention support.
The Dublin Mid-West TD was responding after the Department of Housing today issued a circular to Local Authorities setting out new rules for social housing acquisition.
Deputy Ó Broin said Minister Browne’s decision will result in more renters becoming homeless.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“Today the Department of Housing issued a circular to Local Authorities setting out new rules for social housing acquisitions. This includes the Tenant In Situ Scheme, a vital homeless prevention support.
“All of the restrictions proposed last month have been included in the circular including the deprioritising of singles and couples without children, the insistence on RTB registration and valid Notice of Termination; exclusion of reasonable refurbishment costs, and the two-year rule whereby the HAP tenancy must have been in place for at least two years. There is also a requirement on the Council Chief Executive to sign off on every single purchase.
“The immediate impact of the restrictions is that more renters will become homeless. Renters whose properties would have qualified for the scheme in 2023 and 2024 will now not be able to access it. And landlords, facing more delays and bureaucracy, will be less inclined to apply for the scheme or remain in when the new delays become apparent.
“Alongside these new restrictions, many councils have been given less money for acquisitions that were spent in 2024. Given that there is a significant backlog of paused applications from 2024, even if the number of eviction notices falls this year councils are likely to run out of funding before the year’s end. If the level of evictions continues at their current levels Councils will definitely not have sufficient funds.
“Last Friday saw homeless levels reach a new record high. There are more adults and children in emergency accommodation than ever before. It is simply incomprehensible that the Minister for Housing would cut funding for and restrict access to this vital homeless prevention scheme.
“It is not credible for the Minister or government to claim that tackling the housing and homeless crisis is their number one priority while at the same time making more people homeless.
“This is an appalling decision by the new Minister and Sinn Féin will continue to call for it to be reversed.”
The Department of Housing’s circular to Local Authorities can be read here.
