Page 27 - Donegal CC An Rpt 19

Local Government under the Voids and the Long Term Derelict Voids Programmes.
Once off adaptation works and extensions
The Council spent over €0.6m carrying out small scale adaptation works to 74 units and extensions to 5 units of our social housing stock. In most cases, this was for tenants with mobility and disability requirements.
Specific refurbishment/remedial works
Over €0.6m was also spent on specific remedial / refurbishment works, in estates throughout the county.
259 new local authority tenancies were created during the year. In addition, there were 1,805 tenancies in place under the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme
by the end of the year and a further 236 households accommodated under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
Estate Management
The Council has five Housing Assessment
/ Tenant Liaison Officers involved in Estate Management and €52,750 was made available for estate management initiatives.
Capital Assistance Scheme
The Council continued to engage with
the Approved Housing Body Sector and
the Health Service Executive in providing accommodation under this programme to meet the needs of the elderly and persons with special needs. The programme is specifically targeted to meet special needs accommodation where the traditional forms of social housing supports is not suitable.
Social Leasing Programme
Under the Social Leasing Programme, suitable properties can be leased to the local authority for a ten year period. 170 units have been leased under this programme to date.
The Council is also engaging with the Approved Housing Body Sector to provide leased units under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF)/Payment &
Availability Agreement Scheme and 25 units were delivered under these schemes, bringing the total number leased by the Approved Housing Body Sector to 155 units.
Traveller Accommodation
The Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019 - 2024 was adopted by Donegal County Council members on 30th September 2019 and in the first year of the Programme, significant accommodation objectives
were met and targets exceeded in relation
to provision of social housing measures
for the Traveller community in Donegal. Refurbishment programmes and alternative accommodation solutions are ongoing on halting sites in Big Isle, Manorcunningham
& Ballintra. A number of small scale accommodation projects are planned for this year where an emergency need has been identified. The accommodation needs of 22 Traveller families were met in 2019.
Homeless Supports
An interagency Homeless Action Team meets regularly to ensure that the appropriate support plans are in place for persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
61 households were assisted with temporary or emergency homeless accommodation and assistance was provided with other local statutory and voluntary agencies including the St. Colmcille Hostel in Letterkenny.
A Service Level Agreement for Tenancy Support & Sustainment Services is in place with Galway Simon Community. The overall objective is to provide a resettlement service to persons exiting emergency or short term accommodation, and to support households that are at risk of becoming homeless,
to assist them to occupy (or continue to occupy) accommodation and progress from homelessness or potential homelessness towards independent sustainable living. The Service does not duplicate, replace or overlap with other relevant services, but will assist in accessing such services.
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