Social housing support provided by local authorities

Local authorities are the main providers of social housing support for people who cannot afford to buy their own homes.

Social housing support is provided through a number of different schemes.

As well as traditional local authority housing, support is provided via the:

• Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS)
• Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)
• various schemes supported by the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) budget.

Schemes supported by SHCEP

This includes schemes such as:

• Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF)
• Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund (HAA)
• properties secured through specific leasing programs.

Leasing programs

• Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS)
• Long Term Leasing Scheme
• Short Term Leasing Scheme
• Mortgage to Rent Scheme.

Approved Housing Bodies

Housing Associations and housing co-operatives, known as approved housing bodies also provide social housing for people unable to provide accommodation from their own resources.

Apply for social housing support

You can apply to your local authority for social housing support if you meet certain conditions of eligibility and need, including income limits.

Local authorities do not administer the Rent Supplement Scheme. It is administered by the Department of Social Protection. This is a short term income support measure to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source.