The Government yesterday pledged “safety net” measures for renters as it stood firm on its decision to lift the temporary ban on evictions.
Ministers agreed a series of decisions at Cabinet on Tuesday in response to intensifying calls from campaigners and opposition politicians to extend the ban on no-fault terminations of tenancy. A non-binding Sinn Fein motion calling for an extension to January was debated in the Dail last night.
Measures to support both renters and landlords were outlined in a Government countermotion to be voted on today. Several independent TDs have yet to declare whether they will back the Government and Sinn Fein has claimed the outcome could be close.
Read more: Dublin woman facing homelessness 'crying everyday' as eviction ban protest held outside Dail
The temporary prohibition on evictions, which was introduced in November, will run out at the end of the month as scheduled. While critics of the move claim it will result in the current record levels of homelessness soaring even higher, the Government has insisted that prolonging the measure will see more landlords leave the rental market, reducing an already low supply of accommodation further.
An expansion of the existing tenant-in-situ scheme is a mainstay of the Government support measures. The scheme empowers local authorities to buy homes where tenants who are in receipt of Housing Assistance Payments or are part of the Rental Accommodation Scheme have been threatened with an eviction notice.
Measures will also allow for local authorities to step in for other renters faced with eviction who cannot afford to buy their home. The authorities will be able to purchase the properties and operate them on a cost rental basis, with the existing householders being able to stay on with lower rental payments.
A further initiative will give renters the first right of refusal to buy their rental home if it is put on the market. A share equity scheme would see renters being able to secure 30% of the purchase price by way of a state grant, with local authorities also able to offer home loans at rates lower than those available on the open market.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who outlined the measures after Cabinet, said the Government was offering “safety net guarantees”. The Government initially set a target for 1,500 homes to be purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme but Mr Ryan said that was set to be increased.
He added: “We’re putting centre stage the protection of tenants, the protection of people at risk of being homeless, and I think significant developments in that regard is the expansion of the tenants-in-situ scheme, going beyond the 1,500 houses or having the capability of going beyond that.”
The Taoiseach later outlined support measures for landlords to encourage them to stay in the market.
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