Affordable Housing

Nineteen houses were sold as Affordable units throughout the County at the following locations:

• Kilkenny City (The Weir, Margaretsfield & Parkside)
• Urlingford
• Graignamanagh
• Thomastown

 

A total of €1,615,700 was advanced for 11 loans on these houses.

 

Estate Management & Community Development

• Liaison with Community Committees (148 hours), delivery of training and increase of committees to 48.
• Expenditure of Estate Enhancement Funding, Estate Management Budget on RAPID designated estates and local authority estates across the City and County, and liaison on expenditure of Local Authority grant funding.
• Launch Local Authority Tidy Estates Competition - 24 entrants from across the City and County.
• 2nd Annual Estate Management Conference held on October 20th, 2007. Theme of conference, Community Education - Launch of FETAC Level 5 Estate Management Diploma Course.
• Promotion of affiliation to Community and Voluntary Forum and Group Insurance Scheme.
• €74,000 approximately allocated to estate management grant funding, supply of gardening equipment, landscaping projects, plants and gardening materials, minor refurbishment on estates, installation of fencing.
• Tender process complete on Extension of Hebron Park Community House. Construction of extension to start early 2008.
• St. Mary's Crescent Group Housing Scheme entered in Irish Council for Social Housing Community Housing Awards - shortlisted to last 5 entrants.
• Completion of Capacity Building Training funded under Housing Management Initiatives Scheme 2006 to Hebron Park, Bishop Birch Place and Newpark Close. Ongoing development of Rural Cluster Network under same funding scheme.
• Allocation of funding under Sustainable Communities Fund scheme 2007 - total allocated €261,250 for community committee training, Pre-Development support for residents at St. Catherine's Halting Site, Wetlands as part of overall site development, and Equality and Diversity training and seminars for staff of City and County Council over a 3 year period.

 

 

Grants

Forty Two Disabled Person Grants were paid out to disabled people to assist them in undertaking necessary renovation works to meet their needs in their homes. Total expenditure was €645,700.

Thirty Four Essential Repair Grants were paid to elderly people to assist them with essential repairs in their homes. Total expenditure was €87,500.

A new Housing Adaptation Scheme was introduced by the Department from 1st November 2007. This new scheme will replace the existing Disabled Persons Grant Scheme and Essential Repair Grant Scheme administered by Kilkenny County Council and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly administered by the Health Service Executive.

 

Homeless Assistance

In 2007, there were a total of 138 homeless referrals (121 homeless persons when one takes 17 repeat referrals into account) to the Housing Support Services office. The majority of service users needing emergency accommodation were referred to the Good Shepherd Centre and the Kilkenny Womens Refuge. Emergency B & B accommodation was provided in a limited number of cases. Information and support was offered in relation to SWA (Rent Allowance) and on social housing options as required.

 

Housing and Accommodation

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

 

Housing Loans

Six Shared Ownership loans and three Annuity loans were paid out in 2007.

One house improvement loan was paid out in 2007.

Thirty two tenants purchased their homes under the Tenant Purchase Scheme with five availing of loans from Kilkenny County Council.

A total of €3,500,000 was paid out on Housing Loans.

 

Housing Support Services

Kilkenny County Council engaged the services of Focus Ireland to provide an Outreach/Tenancy Sustainment service for a period of two years. This service will be provided to clients leaving the Homeless services and moving to independent living. It will also be available to tenants who are at risk of losing their tenancy due to a number of reasons. The service is 90% funded by the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government. The service commenced in the summer of 2007.

 

Housing Construction / Acquistion Programme

An allocation of €20 million was received from the Department in 2007. This is the highest allocation ever received by Kilkenny County Council for the provision of Social Housing.

53 New houses were completed and allocated by Kilkenny County Council at:

Ballragget	5
Graignamanagh	15
Inistioge	3
Parkside	4
Slieverue	11
Turnkey at Castlecomer	15
Urlingford	9
Rural at Carrigeen, Kilrush

37 New houses/apartments were provided through Part V at:

Graignamanagh	3
Kilkenny - Castlehill	2
Kilkenny - Parcnagowan	5
Kilkenny - Patrick's Gate	5
Kilmacow	6
Thomastown - Berkley Lawns	8
Thomastown - The Meadows	8

 

Approx 250 Houses are under construction at 31/12/2007 through the Council's own construction programme and Part V developments.

Kilkenny County Council purchased forty six (46) properties on the open market to supplement our Housing programme in Kilkenny and various locations throughout the County.

 

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 Council carried out 62 inspections on private rented accommodation during 2007.

Kilkenny County Council administers the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). This scheme applies to people who are in receipt of rent supplement usually for more that 18 months and who are in need of long term housing. The Council assessed 193 people for the Scheme in 2007 and transferred 185 tenancies to RAS during 2007.

 

Travellers

Review of Traveller Accommodation Programme completed in December 2007. This review highlights the progress made by Kilkenny Local Authorities in meeting the specific accommodation needs of Travellers as identified in the targets set out in the programme.

Achievements include:

• Completion of the group housing scheme at St. Mary's Avenue, Hebron with all eight houses allocated and occupied by December 2007.
• Twenty (20) Traveller families have been successfully accommodated over the three year period that the programme has been operational. The accommodation offered includes Group Housing, Halting Site, Standard Housing, Rural Dwelling and CAS.
• Preparation and delivery of Traveller specific Pre-Tenancy Course.

 

Voluntary Housing Scheme

Twenty Seven units of accommodation were completed in Year 2007 by Voluntary Housing Association at Kilmacow (7), Ballyhale (10), Moneenroe (8) and Ballyhall, Callan (2).

Four projects are under construction at the 31/12/2007 at the following locations;

• William Street, Kilkenny - Newgrove Housing Association.
• Loughboy, Kilkenny - St. Patrick's Voluntary Housing Association.
• Callan (Moate Lane & Bridge Street) - Camphill Communities.

 

Housing Highlights

• 125 Families were housed by Kilkenny County Council in 2007.
• 26 Housing loans were advanced in 2007.
• 76 Housing grants were paid in 2007.