Vacant Homes Action Plan - County Roscommon · 2019. 5. 15. · 2 Vacant Homes Action Plan...

Vacant Homes Action Plan for County Roscommon

2017-2021

2

Vacant Homes Action Plan 2017-2021


Introduction 1

Local Context 1

Incentives to bring vacant homes back into use 5

Actions to address vacant private housing 7

Actions to address vacant social housing 9

Implementation of Action Plan and summary of actions 11

Contents Page


1


Introduction

National housing policy, as outlined in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and

Homelessness, provides a multi-stranded approach to significantly increase the level of housing to

address housing needs nationwide. Utilising existing housing stock is a key Pillar of this Plan

together with the development of an overall national vacant housing re-use strategy. This strategy

will be developed using detailed Census 2016 results, as well as up-to-date data to outline actions

which would have the greatest effect in getting vacant homes back into use.

There are a number of wide ranging reasons which lead to vacancy such as population decline,

migration, age and quality of housing. While a certain level of vacancy is to be expected, short term

vacancies are mainly as a result of changing ownerships or renovations. Long term vacancies can

have a negative impact on an area, especially in an urban environment as it contributes to urban

decay.

Roscommon County Council will identify the level of vacancy in the following settlements of the

county: Roscommon Town, Monskland/Bellanamullia, Boyle, Castlerea, Ballaghaderreen, Cortober,

Strokestown, Elphin and Hodson Bay. The Council will also set targets for what vacant homes can

be brought back into use, whether for sale or rent or indeed social housing purposes.

Local Context

Census 2016 figures show the total housing stock in Co. Roscommon as 31,285. Of these houses,

5,323 or 17% were identified as being vacant. This is a reduction from the 7,332 houses that were

identified as being vacant in the 2011 Census. The countywide vacancy rate according to the

Census 2016 data is mapped in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Small Areas Census 2016 Vacancy Rate

> 33.6 to 62

> 23.7 to 33.6

> 17.6 to 23.7

>12.5 to 17.6

>7 to 12.5

0 to 7

2


The Geodirectory is an extensive database of each building in the country and is updated on an

ongoing basis. The figures from the Geodirectory show the total number of vacant houses in Co.

Roscommon as 2,978. The county wide vacancy rate according to the Geodirectory is shown in

Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Small Areas Geodirectory Vacancy Rate 2017

As an initial analysis of vacancy, the geodirectory

database was identified, given that it is based on

the most recent data on vacancy available at this

time. This included a comprehensive information

gathering exercise to compile a database of the

level of vacancy, with a priority at this stage

given to the settlement centres as set out in the

settlement hierarchy of the County Development

Plan 2014-2020.

These settlements are:

• Roscommon Town

• Monskland/Bellanamullia

• Boyle

• Castlerea

• Ballaghaderreen

• Cortober

• Strokestown

• Elphin

• Hodson Bay

Figure 3: Settlements identified for detailed analysis

> 24 to 35

> 17.8 to 24

> 12.6 to 17.8

> 8.2 to 12.6

> 4 to 8.2

0 to 4

3


These figures show that there are a total of 915 vacant houses in these settlements. This

represents an average vacancy rate of 9.3% in these settlements. The highest vacancy is in

Ballaghaderreen with a vacancy rate of 17.78% while Athlone (incl. Monksland) had the lowest

vacancy rate at 1.08%.

The vacancy numbers in the identified settlements for both Census 2016 and Geodirectory data are

shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

It is important to note that the figures compiled from the Geodirectory include privately owned

houses as well as those owned by the Roscommon County Council. These houses have a capacity to

provide for the private rental market as well as social housing.

In relation to the vacant homes in private ownership, Roscommon County Council will identify the

registered owners of these properties. The owners will be contacted and advised of their options to

bring their properties back into use for either private or social housing purposes.

Total number

of houses in

area

Total no. of

vacant

houses

Vacancy

rate (%)

Roscommon 2611 351 13.44

Athlone incl Monk-

sland 1759 92 5.23

Ballaghaderreen 1181 383 32.43

Boyle 1411 288 20.41

Castlerea 1235 336 27.20

Strokestown 553 157 28.39

Cortober 462 154 33.33

Elphin 382 105 27.47

Hodson Bay/

Barrymore 223 15 6.73

Table 1: Vacancy Rates according to Census 2016

Total number

of houses in

area

Total no.

of vacant

houses

Vacancy rate

(%)

Roscommon 2481 187 7.54

Athlone incl Monk-

sland 1647 19 1.54

Ballaghaderreen 1157 210 18.15

Boyle 1452 168 11.57

Castlerea 1193 151 12.66

Strokestown 521 77 14.78

Cortober 454 51 11.23

Elphin 374 47 12.57

Hodson Bay/

Barrymore 196 5 2.55

Table 2: Vacancy Rates according to Geodirectory

4


With regard to social housing, Roscommon County Council will aim to fill any vacant housing stock

along with providing additional social housing units. The Council will also continue to provide

support to the social housing rental market with initiatives such as Housing Assistance Payment

(HAP), Repair and Lease Scheme (RLS) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).

In order to survey the settlements in a comprehensive manner, a mobile app based GIS survey for

the purpose of recording information related to the vacancy status of properties was created. This

collector app included all properties in the settlements and the boundaries which were determined

by the settlement boundaries as defined by Census 2016. Staff will be assigned to carry out the

surveys on all properties within these settlements to determine a level of vacancy. Once surveyed it

gave a real time picture of vacancy in the principle settlements of the county.

Each vacant property will be mapped and the information is to be shared with the vacanthomes.ie

website which has been set up as a central portal for individuals to log possible vacant properties

throughout the country.

In accordance with recommendations from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local

Government, Roscommon County Council have designated an Empty Homes Officer to act as a

point of contact for members of the public to provide information on the options/incentives

available for bringing vacant homes back into use. This Empty Homes Officer will also be

responsible for co-ordinating the development of the Action Plans and subsequent implementation

of relevant actions. A primary objective of the designated Officer will be to collect accurate and

up-to-date information on the location and ownership of empty homes and maintain a database of

such homes, facilitate their return to productive use.

5


Incentives to bring vacant homes back into use

Once the vacancy rates have been established, the next step is to identify all the available

incentives to bring these vacant homes back into use. The Council will make contact with the

registered owners of the properties and inform the owners of the options which may be available

to them and the incentive which best meets the requirements of both the Council and the property

owner.

Acquisitions

The ability to acquire vacant homes and to return them to productive use is a key element to the

Vacant Homes Action Plan. Acquisition thresholds set by the Department will form the basis for

discussions with owners. In some instances, the Council will seek to work in partnership with an

Approved Housing Body in order to secure acquisition.

Repair and Lease Scheme

Departmental guidance was received for the “Repair & Lease Scheme” under the “Rebuilding

Ireland” Action Plan which is aimed at encouraging property owners to refurbish vacant residential

properties in order to provide them by way of lease for the benefit of those on the housing waiting

list. The scheme is aimed at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford the repairs needed to

bring their property up to the standard for renting.

Subject to the property being suitable for the provision of social housing, the cost of the repairs will

be met by the Local Authority or an Approved Housing Body (AHB). There are a number of

requirements in relation to the scheme:

• The property has to be vacant for at least 12 months prior to submission: proof of vacancy

will be required

• There has to be a social housing demand for the property

• The property has to be assessed as being viable to provide social housing

If the property meets these requirements it will be inspected by Local Authority or AHB staff who

will identify the works required to bring the house up to the required standard. If the owner wishes

to enter into a lease arrangement to make the property available for social housing with the local

authority or AHB, the following conditions will apply:

• The minimum lease term is 10 years, 15 years or 20 years depending on the cost of the

upgrade works;

• the lease payments will based on:

• The general terms of social leasing which is set at 80% (85% for apartments) of the

current market rental rates in the property location

• A further adjustment to the lease payment to off-set the cost of the repair/upgrade

work until the cost of the work has been repaid;

• The scope and cost of the works required to meet the standards, and the recoupment of the

works cost through the lease payments, will be agreed between the owner and the Local

Authority/AHB.

Buy and Renew Scheme

This initiative funds Local Authorities and AHBs (the latter using the ‘Capital Assistance Scheme for

priority housing categories) to purchase and renew housing units in need of remediation, and make

them available for social housing use. Again, it is subject to the suitability of the property for social

housing, the condition of the property and the cost of remediation. There is real potential for Local

Authorities to acquire properties that are vacant and where there is a need for social housing, to

remediate them and make them available to those on the waiting list. A detailed condition survey

of all properties being considered will be carried out prior to any agreements being finalised.

6


Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS)

The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is a social housing support introduced to cater for the

accommodation needs of persons who are in receipt of rent supplement and living in the private

rented sector for 18 months or more and on the Social Housing Waiting List. It is envisaged that the

RAS would provide an additional source of good quality rented accommodation for those in need.

The local authority will enter into contractual arrangements with accommodation providers to

secure the medium to long-term availability of private rental accommodation for RAS. While

different contract types may be entered into, they will all contain the following elements:

• The local authority will pay the full rent to the landlord on behalf of the tenant

• The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2015 will govern the relationship between the landlord

and the tenant

• The landlord must be tax compliant (tax clearance certificate must be renewed annually and

contracts will be produced in the name that appears on the cert)

• The property must meet minimum standards for private rental accommodation, as

determined by the local authority

• The landlord must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)

Long Term Leasing Scheme

Long Term Leasing (LTL) was introduced to cater for the accommodation needs of persons who

have a long term housing need. Properties are leased from private owners and used to

accommodate households from the housing waiting list.

Long Term Leasing involves a three-way relationship between the Landlord, Tenant and the Local

Authority. The form of the contract entered into will set out the general responsibilities of all three

parties. This is a separate scheme to the Rental Accommodation Scheme and is for property owners

who want long term guaranteed income but do not want to be responsible for the day to day

requirements of managing tenants or maintaining a residential property. In assessing the suitability

of a property for leasing, the Council will firstly consider the demand for social housing in the area

and its objective of achieving sustainable communities by having a good balance of mixed income

and mixed tenure households. LTL offers the landlord a guaranteed rental income without the

requirement of rent collection and finding a new tenant, tenancy management, and day to day

maintenance costs. Notably Leases under this scheme will range from a minimum of 10 to a

maximum of 20 years.

Compulsory Purchase

The acquisition of land by a Housing Authority through the use of CPO is set out in section 76 of the

Housing Act, 1966. Section 77 of the Act empowers Housing Authorities to compulsorily purchase

land that may not be immediately needed by the Authority if the purpose of the purchase is to fulfil

one of the Authority’s housing objectives, as laid out in section 55(3) of the Act. Of these

objectives, those listed in subsections 55(3)(b), 55(3)(c) and 55(3)(d) appear to be the most

pertinent to current housing requirements.

These include; (a) the elimination of overcrowding; (b) the provision of adequate and suitable

accommodation for persons (including elderly or disabled persons) who, in the opinion of the

authority, are in need of and are unable to provide such accommodation from their own resources;

(c) the provision of adequate housing accommodation to meet needs arising from obsolescence of

dwellings or the prospective increase in the population.

7


Actions to address vacant private housing

From the initial assessment of vacancy from the Geodirectory database, it became clear that the

largest amount of vacancy exists in the private housing stock. The Council will initiate a number of

actions to address this vacant stock.

Town Centre Enhancement and Framework Plans

The Town Centre Planning Unit have initiated work on Town Centre Enhancement Plans in an effort

to regenerate and revitalise the core areas of many of the settlements in the County. This work is

being carried out in partnership with the Town Teams and relevant stakeholders in each

settlement.

In the study areas there are many instances where ground floor commercial units are occupied but

the spaces above the street, originally laid out as residences lie vacant. Historically these spaces

would have been the family homes which brought life and diversity to the Town centre up to the

mid 20th

century which saw the mass movement of residential communities away to suburban

areas and the countryside. While it would be naive to assume that all of the upper floor units,

originally laid out as residences could be returned to family occupation, some of these may be

suitable for those seeking to enter the housing market, couples or those who live alone. Others

may be suitable for amalgamation into a single family residence of sufficient scale to become an

attractive alternative to suburban single use pods as a family lifestyle choice, when taken in

conjunction with other initiatives such as public realm enhancements and green and blue initiatives

providing the access nature which underpins the suburban ideal.

Bringing back these units into productive use can be achieved by implementing the following:

• Remodel existing residential spaces as attractive but in many cases compact modern units.

• Amalgamate two or more smaller vacant residential units above ground floor level to form a

single high quality residential unit developed as an attractive alternative to a suburban

dwelling. In many cases this may involve the establishment of a profit sharing development

partnership between two or more property owners.

• Amalgamate existing upper storey residential space into a larger mid block residential

development forming either large townhouses or higher density residential housing scheme,

with associated amenity spaces and pedestrian access.

Figure 4: Adapting existing residential units

8


Age Friendly Town Centre Housing

Older residents have a unique symbiosis with town centre life as they are typically proportionally

less likely to require large residential spaces or space intensive car parking. As a greater proportion

of older people engage with the street by foot rather than by car they are therefore also more

likely to frequent a range of smaller commercial units closer to home for midweek convenience

items rather than use larger single use retail anchors outside the town core. Town improvements

can mean that vacant homes in town centres become more viable for the older demographic.

Completion of Unfinished Housing Developments

Roscommon County Council are actively engaged, through the Unfinished Housing Developments

team, with developers to ensure completion in line with planning.

The Unfinished Housing Developments team has been working to resolve the unfinished housing

developments in the county in a number of ways including:

• Engaging with relevant parties to agree and implement Site Resolution Plans

• Pursuing enforcement action for non compliance with planning permission, where it has not

been possible to agree a solution

• Continuing to utilise the Framework for the Provision of Consultant Civil Engineering Services

on Unfinished Housing Development Site Resolution Projects (which was established in 2015)

as a procurement mechanism. Advanced stages of the Framework were undertaken in 2016,

resulting in Consultant Civil Engineers being appointed in 6 housing developments.

• Preparing a successful submission to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local

Government, resulting in an allocation of €224,468 to Roscommon County Council under the

National Taking in Charge Initiative, with the funds being allocated to nine specific housing

developments in order to bring them to a satisfactory standard capable of being taken in

charge. The Planning and Housing Departments will continue to liaise with developers and Approved

Housing Bodies to acquire, where appropriate, any remaining units in Unfinished Housing

Developments in the county.

Vacanthomes.ie

A link on Roscommon County Council’s homepage to www.vacanthomes.ie has been established.

This is a national website developed on behalf of the local government sector as a central portal for

individuals to (anonymously) register possible vacant properties in their area and alert Local

Authorities who can then follow up with the owners to see whether the house can be reused

quickly. This website should also provide some useful information and advice to property owners as

to what steps are currently needed to bring their houses back into use. The Council will also

regularly advertise in local media seeking expressions of interest from the owners of vacant houses

to bring them back into productive use.

Acquisition of sites

The Council will prioritise the acquisition of housing units that are vacant and are recorded on the

vacant property list including houses which may have been inspected as part of Derelict Sites

legislation. The Empty Homes Officer will make contact with the registered owners of all identified

vacant units to offer the suite of incentives to bring houses back into use. The acquisition of houses

will be an option available subject to delegated sanction and cost thresholds set out by the

Department.

Where agreement cannot be reached to acquire houses in certain locations that contribute to

urban decay or affect the sustainability of communities, the Council will consider use of

Compulsory Purchase powers in line with relevant legislation.

9


Actions to address vacant social housing

Roscommon County Council carries out a range of housing functions to meet the accommodation

needs of those who are unable to do so from their own resources where possible. Social housing

supports are provided by the allocation of Council owned units and through the facilitation of

tenancies via the Rental Accommodation Scheme, Housing Assistance Payment, Long Term Leasing

and by implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2014-2018. Housing Stock is

increased by way of return of voids/derelicts, acquisitions, turnkey developments, unfinished

estates and construction projects depending on available finances and housing need. Other

functions include maintenance/improvement/energy upgrade works to Local Authority housing

units, homelessness, housing grants, inspections of private rented dwellings, administration of

Tenant Purchase and Choice Based Letting schemes. The delivery targets for Roscommon County

Council for 2017-2021 are outlined in Table 3.

Vacant housing offers significant opportunities to provide permanent homes for those that need

them most urgently. Local Authorities have a crucial role in both meeting the housing needs of

those most in need as well as enabling private home owners to bring their homes back into use for

social housing purposes.

In managing existing housing stock, a certain level of vacancy would be expected as a portion of the

units available for social housing will be vacant for repair works between tenancies. The length of

this vacancy can depend on the works required in the units as well as the speed at which new

tenancies are secured. Good practice would also require that a certain level of vacancy is

maintained to ensure availability to respond to those in urgent need of housing.

The administration of these vacancies, or voids, is a key aspect in achieving good practice in

housing management. Keeping voids to a minimum, ensures that applicants for housing are

accommodated as quickly as possible and existing tenants to not have to live adjacent to vacant

houses which may be subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour. In residential estates where

there are a large number of vacant properties, it leads to a sense on neglect and dereliction which

in turn leads to the physical and social decline of the area. The management of voids is also

significant from a financial perspective. Casual vacancy (pre-letting) works are carried out by RCC as

soon as possible in order to maximise use of stock and prevent houses from becoming voids.

Delivery Mechanism Units to be provided

LA Refurbishments (vacated and re-let) 200

Approved Housing Bodies 97

Turn-key 30

Individual acquisitions including Buy and Re-

new, CPO, unfinished estates 86

PPP/B2 Long-term-leasing 53

Direct Build 2

Part V 10

Total for 2017-2021 (estimate excluding re-

lets) 278

Table 3: Roscommon County Council 2017-2021 Delivery Target

10


The Council’s void management strategies are based on guidance and best practice advice from the

Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government including ‘Managing Voids: Co-ordinating

the Monitoring & Repair and Allocation of Vacant Dwellings’ – Good Practice in Housing

Management Guidelines for Local Authorities – Department of the Environment 2001 and ‘Effective

Void Management in Ireland’ – Housing Agency 2017.

Prior to 2016, vacant units, particularly those in medium to low areas of demand awaited

confirmation of acceptance from a client prior to renovation. In 2016 Housing Section renovated a

backlog of 80 void properties and re-tenanted these. The list was gone through at the same time as

the works were completed and those refusing for a second time were suspended from the list. This

was the highest number of returned units achieved in recent years and brought vacancy rates

down to manageable levels.

The 2016-2017 voids programme has been completed and voids have been effectively eliminated.

Vacant stock has been reduced from approximately 10 % to 3.5% as a result. These units are

waiting to be sold or are unavailable due to anti-social behaviour or special designation e.g.

reserved as emergency accommodation units. While this programme can be seen as a success, its

continued operation will ensure that the housing stock is maintained to a high level while enabling

occupancy of the existing housing stock.

Roscommon County Council owns circa 1,400 housing units which represents 4.47% of total

housing stock in the county. In addition the Housing Associations own circa 178 units while 425

houses are rented under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and a further 168 through the

Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). This gives a total of almost 2,171 homes in County Roscommon

which are either directly or indirectly used for social housing purposes which represents 6.94% of

total housing stock in the county.

Roscommon County Council’s allocations procedure is based on its list of letting priorities with

particular emphasis on length of time on the list and matching applicants with appropriate

accommodation. Choice based letting (CBL) can be used for allocating social housing in a way that

can offer increased choice and involvement for applicant households in selecting a new home and

thereby reduces the likelihood of a refusal and ongoing vacancy in social housing stock.

Roscommon County Council has not rolled out Choice Based Letting (CBL) based on a short-term

assessment of resources versus benefit but acknowledges a longer-term assessment of this policy is

required. The Council will assess the CBL procedure with an aim to roll out the initiative in the

lifetime of this plan.

11


Implementation of Action Plan and summary of actions

The Council will implement the following measures to monitor the progress in implementing the

Action Plan and addressing vacancy levels on an ongoing basis.

Objective 1 Assess the “real time” level of vacancy in County Roscommon

Action 1 Engage with local communities, Town Teams, Elected Members

and members of the public to identify vacant properties

Action 2 Accurately map the location and extent of vacant homes in the

County

Action 3 Initiate a programme for ongoing assessment of vacancy levels

Objective 2 Work with property owners in an effort to bring vacant proper-

ties back into use

Action 4 Identify the registered owners of the properties

Action 5

Contact the owners on the options and incentives available to

assist in bringing their properties back into use for private or

social housing purposes

Objective 3 Reduce the number of privately owned vacancy homes in the

County

Action 6

Undertake the preparation of Town Centre Enhancement and

Framework Plans to improve the core areas of urban settlements

in the County

Action 7

The Councils Housing and Planning Departments will liaise with

developers and Approved Housing Bodies to acquire, where

appropriate, remaining units in Unfinished Housing

Developments in the county

Action 8

Where agreement cannot be reached to acquire houses in

certain locations that contribute to urban decay or affect the

sustainability of communities the Council will consider use of

Compulsory Purchase powers in line with available legislation

Objective 4 Reduce the number of Council owned vacancy homes in the

County

Action 9 Continue to implement the void management strategy to

maintain the low level of voids in the county

Action 10

A comprehensive database of all dwellings will be maintained,

along with reliable procedures to ensure that tenants provide

adequate notice of their intention to vacate a dwelling and

systems to identify abandoned and illegally occupied dwellings

are maintained

Action 11 Facilitate the roll out of the Choice based letting initiative in the

lifetime of this plan

Who is

responsible

Empty Homes Officer

Empty Homes Officer

Empty Homes Officer

Empty Homes Officer

Empty Homes Officer

Town Centre Planning

Unit

Unfinished Housing

Developments Team,

Empty Homes Officer,

Housing

Department

Empty Homes Officer,

Corporate

Services

Housing

Department

Housing

Department

Housing

Department

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