Tenant in Situ Scheme Faces Funding Delays

A Dublin grandmother and her family, including three children and a grandchild, face imminent homelessness due to stalled funding for Ireland’s tenant in situ scheme. This governmental initiative, launched in 2023, enables local authorities to purchase homes from landlords intending to sell, ensuring continuity for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) tenants.

Despite the family’s landlord and Fingal County Council agreeing to sell the property to prevent eviction, the council has indicated it cannot proceed due to a lack of received funds from the Department of Housing. This comes despite a €325 million allocation announced on March 31 for purchasing second-hand social housing.

With just two weeks until eviction, the family has received advice to seek help from homeless services.

Local TD Louise O’Reilly emphasized the scheme’s effectiveness in preventing homelessness and criticized the lack of timely funding distribution.

Fingal County Council stated they recently received their 2025 funding allotment and are proceeding with purchases where agreements exist.

However, some cases, including the grandmother’s, are still in preliminary stages without inspections, price negotiations, or formal agreements, underscoring the urgent need for streamlined processes and timely fund distribution.