Cllr Keane with council tenants from Whitechurch and Kiltalown protesting any rent increase
‘People are struggling and terrified of a rent increase’
Any review of rent paid by council tenants “must not be used as a back door to raise revenue by hiking rents”, a Tallaght councillor has said.
Neighbouring local authorities Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council all voted to increase social housing rents in November.
Cllr Kay Keane (PBP-S) has called on South Dublin County Council to ensure that any review of social housing rent or the “differential rents scheme is based on fairness, not revenue-raising”.
Speaking at the full council meeting on Monday, February 9, Cllr Keane said the council must have “real, meaningful consultation with tenants and their unions such as CATU and organisations with expertise in tackling poverty and inequality”.
She said she had met with social housing tenants in Kiltalown and Whitechurch who have begun a campaign to oppose any increase from the council.
“The message is clear and consistent, people are already struggling and they are terrified of a rent increase,” she told the council meeting.
These are not abstract concerns, this is about whether people can pay their bills, put food on the table and stay in their homes.”
There is currently 20,727 social housing tenants paying rent in accordance with South Dublin County Council’s Differential Rent Scheme, according to SDCC’s director of housing Elaine Leech.
Figures shared in response to a question by Cllr Madeline Johansson (Ind) detailed the breakdown across various schemes and payments, with 10,412 SDCC social housing tenants, 5,138 tenants of approved housing bodies, 600 tenants in leased units and 464 in the Rental Accommodation Scheme (for people with long-term housing needs who are currently receiving Rent Supplement).
There are also 1,975 tenants in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment and 2,138 separately in receipt of the Homeless Housing Assistance Payment.
Replying to Cllr Keane’s motion, Ms Leech stressed that any changes to the rent differential scheme “will be fair and equitable and those vulnerable tenants who are on the lowest incomes will pay the lowest rents”.
However, she added any adjustments must still be “sufficient to meet all of the costs involved in managing, maintaining and upgrading our social homes now and into the future”.
“We are currently awaiting the publishing of ‘An Overview of Local Authorities Differential Rent Schemes and Rent Reviews’ prepared by the Value for Money Unit, Local Government Audit Service,” she said.
“This report will provide a strong evidential basis for strategic adjustment of our differential rent scheme to address inequities in the current rent scheme along with ensuring that sufficient funding is in place to meet future social housing management and maintenance costs.”
Thanking Ms Leech for her response, Cllr Keane stressed a need for engagement with tenants and asked that “those who are going to be most affected have some right to sit at the table before any decisions are made”.
“It’s them that are going to be heavily impacted,” she said.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
