Status of plans to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the status of plans to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing across local authorities.
REPLY


Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides for the introduction of a national rents framework for social housing tenants.  Considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft of such a framework, which has as its main aim the harmonisation of local authority rents, including a set of standardised income disregards, whilst retaining the general principle of rents related to household income.  
This work was examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to review the disparate systems of differential rent for social housing in place across local authorities.  The overall objective is to ensure that housing supports are fair and sustainable and prioritise those on lowest incomes.
I intend to bring a comprehensive package of social housing reform measures to Government in the near future and the relevant recommendations made in the review will be progressed as part of this package.