Kilkenny Local Authorities adopts a pro-active and flexible approach in meeting the challenges of providing accommodation for those in need and assisting other who can afford it, by obtaining their own accommodation.

Kilkenny Local Authorities actively promotes all housing schemes available in the interest of providing housing accommodation, social integration and putting in place measures to sustain communities.

2010 presented major challenges for the Housing Authorities in Kilkenny. The unprecedented weather conditions at both start and end of the year posed great difficulties for both tenant and landlord. This resulted in emergency action to alleviate homelessness, damage to property and water shortages.

 

Affordable Housing

5 houses were sold throughout the Count:

• Gowran at The Steeples.
• The Weir, Castlecomer Rd.
• Kilkenny at Glenbawn.
• Thomastown at The Greens.

 
A total of €702,000 was paid out on 4 Affordable Housing Loans.

 

Capital Investment Programme

An allocation of €10.2 million was received from the Department in 2010. This allocation was provided to Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Borough Council for the provision of Social Housing.

29 New houses were completed by Kilkenny Local Authorities at: Ballyragget (21), Windgap (5) and Rurals (3).

 

Estate Management & Community Development

• Liaison with Community Committees delivery of training and increase of committees to 79.
• Promotion of affiliation to Community and Voluntary Forum and Group Insurance Scheme.
• €97,000 approximately allocated to estate management grant funding, supply of gardening equipment, landscaping projects, plants and gardening materials, minor refurbishment on estates, installation of fencing.
• Development of Community Gardens at Newpark Close and Hebron Park to provide training in conjunction with County Kilkenny Leader Partnership.
• Sustainable Communities Fund scheme - Pre-Development support for residents at St. Catherine's Halting Site, Wetlands and Equality and Diversity training and seminars for staff of City and County Council.

 

Homeless Assistance

The planning and delivery of homeless services is directed by the Housing Act 1988 and the provisions of Part 2, Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. While the responsibilities of individual authorities in relation to homelessness were not effected this took on a regional dimension in March 2010 with the establishment of joint homeless fora by ministerial order (Circular HU 1/2010). Waterford City Council was appointed as the lead authority in the south east which led to the establishment of the South East Homeless Forum and Management Group which were tasked with preparing and submitting a regional homeless action plan to the six member local authorities. The South East Homeless Action Plan May 2010 -May 2013 was duly adopted by all participating local authorities and forms the blueprint for service delivery in the region.

Kilkenny Homeless Action Team (KHAT), an interagency team comprising of statutory and non-governmental agency representatives meets weekly to discuss and agree service provision to homeless persons presenting to any of the participating organizations. The representative agencies are: Kilkenny Local Authorities, HSE South   Kilkenny Women's Refuge; Good Shepherd Centre and Focus Ireland.

In 2010 KHAT was joined by a representative of the HSE Substance Misuse Team.

 

Referrals to Kilkenny Local Authorities Homeless Services 2010
178 Homeless Referrals (5 of which were couples)    

 

Good Shepherd Centre
The Centre marked 21 years in operation in November 2010 and has met the needs of over 3500 homeless men in that period of time. Currently the Centre meets the needs of over 120 men a year. The service that the Centre offer's has evolved over that period of time and now a very clear policy of supporting people experiencing homeless back into independent living as quickly as possible with the most relevant supports around them.
The Good Shepherd Centre works in an interagency manner and works very closely with the following agencies:

• Amber Women's Refuge
• Kilkenny Local Authorities
• Department Of Psychiatry
• An Garda Siochana
• Local Community groups
• St Lukes Hospital
• Community Welfare Officer

 

Housing Adaptation Grants

• 322 grants paid out in 2010 compared to 90 in 2009.
• €1.8 million was expended on all three grant schemes.
• Matched funding of 373,500 was provided by Kilkenny Local Authorities.
• Panel of Contractors set up to assist the Elderly to source local developers/trades.
• Sixteen (16) Mobility Aids Grants were paid out in 2010 to assist people with stairlifts and minor bathroom modifications. Total expenditure was €73,060.
• Two hundred and forty one (241) Housing Aid for the Elderly grants were paid out to assist people in carrying out necessary repairs and improvements to their homes. Total expenditure was €1,272,276.
• Sixty five (65) Housing Adaptation Grants were paid out in 2010 to assist people with adaptations and extensions to their properties. Total expenditure was €575,001.

 

Housing Loans

• 1 Home Choice Loan was paid out in 2010.
• 7 Annuity Loans issued to the value of €909,000.
• 1 House Improvement loan was paid out in 2010.
• 2 Caravan Loans was paid out in 2010.

A total of €1,037,030 was paid out on all Housing Loans.

40 New houses/apartments were provided through Part V/Purchases at: Gowran (10) and Acquisitions (40)

There were 56 casual vacancies and 16 transfers during 2010

 

Leasing

Social leasing was a new initiative introduced by the Department in 2009 and provides another option for the delivery of social housing going forward. Under this scheme the local authority will seek to enter into leasing arrangements with property owners for a period of 10-20 years.

The voluntary sector also has a role to play in social leasing. This can be either by way of direct provision of units or in management and maintaining housing stock secured under leasing by the local authority. A total of 26 units were secured under leasing in Kilkenny during 2010:

Units	Address
15	College Park, Callan Road, Kilkenny
6	Friars Hill, Graiguenamanagh
3	Seville Lawns, Margaretsfield, Callan Road, Kilkenny
1	Rockshire Road, Ferrybank
1	Kilmurray, Thomastown

 

Private Rented Sector

Under the Private Residential Tenancies Act 2004 registration of tenancies in private rented accommodation is now being operated by the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). All Landlords must register each tenant in their respective rented accommodation at a cost of €70 per tenancy.

Kilkenny County Council has responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations under the Housing Acts relating to rent books and standards of private rented accommodation. The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2008, came into effect on 1st February, 2009. The Council carried out 88 inspections on private rented accommodation during 2010.

Overall there are 204 tenants in RAS in private rented and 271 in voluntary sector RAS tenancies.

Year	RS Cases	RAS Private Transfers	RAS Voluntary Transfers	Total No. in RAS
2005 - 2009	386	146	241	387
2010	660	58	30	475

 

Number of RAS interviews arranged in 2010...........358
No & % of Applicants who attended for interview..........148 (42%)
No Properties (Landlords) in RAS Scheme..........141

 

Travellers

The Annual Count of Traveller families and their accommodation position was carried out on November 26th 2010. The total number of Traveller families in the local authority area on the date of the count was 155, an increase of 18 families on the previous year.

Of particular significance is the steady increase in:
(i) total number of Traveller families living in the administrative area from 2004 to 2010. 92 families in 2004 - 155 families in 2010 (74% increase) and
(ii) number of families living in the private rented sector. 6 families in 2004 - 58 families in 2010 (866% increase).

&quotThe Traveller Accommodation Programme 2009-2013&quot was adopted by Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Borough Council in the first quarter of 2009. The Programme outlined the key strategies for the provision of accommodation over the next 5 years within the County.

Kilkenny Local Authorities continue to support a number of additional services to the Traveller Community in partnership with NGOs and other statutory organizations. During the summer of 2010 a pilot programme was initiated with a number of teenage boys in relation to the care and management of horses. This was undertaken in conjunction with the Garda JLO scheme and it is hoped that it can be developed in 2011 if funding is available.

 

Voluntary Housing Scheme

Kilkenny has a long tradition of voluntary activity in the area of housing provision. Throughout the County and City schemes for elderly, those with a mental or physical disability and for the homeless have been provided. There are now a total of 721 housing units provided by Voluntary Housing Associations in the County overall.

The following additional units were completed in 2010:

• Danesfort - 6 units for elderly
• Kilkenny - William St - 18 units for people with special needs
• Loughboy - 9 units for elderly

 

Housing Highlights

• 123 units of accommodation were provided by Kilkenny Local Authorities
• 33 units of accommodation provided by the Voluntary Sector
• 30 Acquisitions completed
• 88 Private rented inspections carried out
• 26 units available under the leasing Initiative in 2010
• 5 Affordable Houses sold in 2010 with 4 remaining to be sold
• 11 loans issued to the value of €1,037,030
• 322 grants paid out in 2010
• 111 houses retrofitted in 2010 in both Housing Authorities
• 475 applicants now in RAS accommodation i.e. 204 private, 271 voluntary housing bodies