HOUSING ALLOCATIONS: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL HOUSING SUPPORT, MEDICAL PRIORITY AND APPEALS.
Dublin City Council’s housing allocations report in January 2023 recorded 12,247 eligible applicants on the list for social housing support. Further figures outlined that 16,839 applicants were on the transfer waiting list resulting in a combined total of 29,086 eligible households awaiting social housing support. The report further outlined that 6,640 have been on the waiting the list for over 10 years and furthermore, of those applicants 6,556 are categorised under Band 1 of the Housing Allocations Scheme which includes those who have applied for either a transfer or social housing support on medical, Welfare Priority and other specified Priority grounds. There are several schemes available to applicants in respect of social housing support outlined below. Call us at 01833847 or fill out the contact form
How to Apply for Housing Support
The Housing Allocations Scheme sets out the basis for “prioritising the allocation of all housing support to persons whose eligibility and need for accommodation has been established” in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. The local authority will assess an application for housing support by reference to the following criteria and determine whether an applicant is eligible for housing support:
(a) Eligibility by reference to income
(b) Residency
(c) Whether Alternative Accommodation is available which would meet the housing
needs of the applicant
(d) Any supports previously provided.
The Local Authority will then consider the need for housing support based upon the applicant’s current accommodation and must consider “whether the accommodation is unsuitable for the household’s adequate housing on exceptional medical or compassionate grounds”. Once an eligible applicant’s housing needs are assessed, the applicant is then placed into one of three bands and offered available housing in date order. The bands are as follows: –
Band 1 Medical and Welfare Priority and other specified Priority Cases
Band 2 All overcrowded cases and those with previously awarded medical or welfare points
Band 3 All remaining qualified households.
The allocation scheme states that “waiting time determines the priority within each band”. Priority status for housing or transfer applicants in band 1 may be given in “cases of exceptional medical circumstances”. The local authority will consider whether the applicant’s current accommodation is unsuitable by reason of that “medical condition”. The allocation scheme states that a report from a medical doctor or consultant should be prepared and submitted in support any such application and outlines that “priority status may be awarded for conditions which cause major problems where the management of the course of the illness will be helped by a change in housing”. If your application is refused then an appeal can be made to the allocations officer in respect of that refusal.
APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL HOUSING: LEGAL RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
A decision to refuse social housing support was the subject of recent court proceedings in Fagan & Ors –v- Dublin City Council [IESC] 2019 96 wherein the Court set aside Dublin City Council’s decision in circumstances where the court held that the Council had carried out an assessment of an application for social housing support in breach of Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. In summary, the Court held that the considerations which the Council took into account when considering the application for social housing support went beyond that which was permitted under the applicable housing legislation and accordingly the decision of the council was set aside.Access to the Housing Allocations Scheme can be made by visiting www.dublincity.ie . Should you wish to discuss your application or discuss appealing an existing application for social housing support, please get in touch by contacting us at (01) 833 8147 or alternatively you can email us at [email protected].
Call us at Call us at 01833847 and Video call consultations are available by appointment.