New Laois social housing tenants to undertake pre tenancy course
The courses will be delivered at Laois County Council's headquarters
Potential council tenants will have to take a pre tenancy course before they take up council housing.
The requirement was contained in the newly adopted Social Housing Allocation Scheme 2024. It was presented to councillors for adoption at the latest meeting of Laois County Council.
The document sets out rules that will apply to tenants of council housing in Laois.
Sinn Fein Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said the document dealt with shared custody arrangements, choice based letting, HAP and other issues.
She said the new scheme would mean that if someone refuses two reasonable housing offers “they will be put on pause for 12 months” on the waiting list. A points system will be in place for potential tenants, she explained.
“Someone who is in emergency accommodation… if they are offered and they refuse, up to 10 points can be removed,” she said.
She said if someone abandons a home, they can apply to go back on the list after two years as opposed to the five year rule that had been in place.
Independent Cllr James Kelly said the information pack would be of great assistance to councillors in advising constituents. He too noted the pre tenancy course.
“Are we saying that anybody waiting for accommodation has to do this?” he asked.
Director of Services Angela McEvoy said the council will ask tenants to take part in the course once an offer has been made. The course takes place in the council offices and includes presentations from the environment and fire services sections of the council.
Fine Gael Cllr Willie Aird said the biggest problem faced by potential tenants was the threshold for getting on the list. “These people that can’t get on it are left in limbo,” he said.
He said the threshold was driving people to give up their jobs out there to drop below the €35,000 income level. “That is what is happening out there. It is a shocking situation,” he said.
Cllr Aird cited the case of a woman with four children who was paying €1,225 in monthly rent for ten years and had never missed a payment. He said she can’t get a loan and has been given notice to leave her property. “She started crying in front of me,” Cllr Aird said.
“We have to get help for the people that are in the property trap,” he added.
Ms McEvoy said the €35,000 threshold was national policy and not something set by Laois County Council.
Cllr Dwane Stanley said she dealt with two families in recent times who are facing homelessness.
Independent Cllr Aisling Moran said people who are earning up to €70,000 can’t get a loan and something has to be done.