Single people ‘discriminated against’ on social housing

Single people are being discriminated against in the provision of social housing, according to a national housing charity.

John-Mark McCafferty, chief executive of Threshold, said the supply of local authority housing does not reflect the type of people on waiting lists.

The accommodation local authorities build and acquire is mostly three and four-bedroom houses, when single person households make up a “huge proportion” of those on waiting lists, he pointed out.

“The available housing not only fails to meet need in general supply, but also does not reflect the population characteristics of the waiting list and the diversity of household types, with an aging population and increasing numbers of smaller households.”

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Mr McCafferty said there needs to be “a better balance” in construction and acquisition of properties to reflect the nature of waiting lists.

He was addressing the Oireachtas housing committee on Wednesday, along with representatives from the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and Department of Housing officials. The committee was examining local authority housing waiting lists.

Threshold said its clients regularly report “very long waiting times” for housing but this varies from place to place

Andrew Guy, from Threshold, said in Galway some people have been on the list for 14 years.

The charity has called for a national policy on the allocation of local authority housing.

It said one possibility was a “score sheet” to include points for time on the waiting list and special considerations such as medical needs.

Kathleen Holohan, a member of the County and City Management Association said the average time on housing waiting lists varies from local authority to local authority, ranging from less than six months to more than seven years.

“Just because somebody is 10 years on the list doesn’t necessarily mean that they didn’t get offers of accommodation. In some cases people have declined many offers of accommodation,” Ms Holohan added.

In its opening submission to the committee, the CCMA said the definition of homelessness needs to be clarified or reviewed and those availing of emergency accommodation should be visited regularly and receive active supports to source alternative accommodation.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin said the primary mechanism for allocating most properties should be Choice Based Letting (CBL).

Choice Based Letting allows local authorities to advertise some of their social housing online so approved applicants can express an interest in the available properties.

The Dublin Mid-West TD said it is a much more efficient system and gives applicants “some level of control” over the properties that they’re expressing an interest for. He said there are some issues that need to be addressed however, such as applicants who don’t have access to computers or are not computer literate.

Mary Hurley, assistant secretary at the Department of Housing, said the scheme is operational in 16 areas across the country and by the end of the year many more local authorities will have it in place.

Ms Hurley also said the department has been working with local authorities on “greater flexibility” for cases of domestic violence or similar “specific cases”.