Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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860.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the action being taken to ensure single applicants to the affordable housing scheme get equal opportunities and consideration as dual applicants, considering single income individuals are struggling to compete with two income households when it comes to the housing market with many having been unsuccessful in applying for the scheme as they are not deemed high priority due to their single status; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35409/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All targets the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030, divided between affordable purchase homes and Cost Rental homes. A strong pipeline is in place and under continuous development.

In the case of Cost Rental homes, in August last year the Government increased the income thresholds for new tenancies, with net household income limits rising to €66,000 in Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere. These were introduced across the Cost Rental sector from 1 August 2023, replacing the former national net income limit of €53,000, and were implemented by the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Cost Rental Eligibility) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 374/2023). The increased thresholds recognise that prevailing rents in the private market have increased significantly in recent years and a large cohort of private renters are experiencing severe affordability challenges, particularly in Dublin. The new thresholds apply to all Cost Rental homes provided under Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021.

In the case of a single-parent family, a single adult earner in the household would be able to have an individual net income limit up to the full threshold of €66,000 in Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere.

In the case of affordable homes purchased under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme and the First Home Scheme, applicant eligibility is not dependent upon income or household size/composition. The eligibility checks for these schemes are property-specific and work from someone's purchasing capacity - from a mortgage, savings, and any Help to Buy incentive.

For the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme, each local authority will have a Scheme of Priority for the allocation of homes. The Affordable Housing Act 2021 allows for the Scheme of Priority to include matters such as priority be given to applicants based upon date and time of application and priority given to eligible applicants in relation to a particular dwelling, or class of dwelling, having regard to the size or composition of the eligible applicant’s household.