Grants and allowances are available to Voluntary & Co-Operative Housing Associations for the following:
Before you submit an application, make sure you are familiar with the conditions explained below.
Grants for Communal Facilities
Grants are available to Voluntary & Co-Operative Housing Associations towards the capital cost of building or installation of communal facilities in new or existing housing projects. The capital cost of acquisition, conversion, renovation and refurbishment of an existing building for use as a communal facility will also be eligible for assistance under the scheme.
Eligible works for grant assistance may include communal dining and kitchen areas, sitting and recreation/activity rooms, laundries, accommodation for therapy or treatment or other facilities reasonably required to improve the occupants’ living conditions.
In order to qualify for this grant at least 75% of the occupants of the dwellings in the project must be :
- Persons who were included on Dublin City Council’s most recent assessment of housing need
- Homeless persons
- Tenants or tenant purchasers of houses provided by a housing authority who surrender the tenancy to the authority
- Elderly emigrants returning to reside in this country.
Voluntary & Co-Operative Housing Associations seeking the grant for communal facilities should complete two copies of Form CF1, one copy of which should be sent to Dublin City Council and the second copy to:
Housing Grants Section
Department of the Environment
Heritage & Local Government
Ballina
Co. Mayo
Subject to approval and availability of funds, the grants for communal facilities will be up to 95% of the approved cost of the works, or, a total equivalent to €7,500 for each unit of living accommodation.
Further information in relation to Grants for Communal Facilities can be found on the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government website www.environ.ie
Management and Maintenance Allowance
Having regard to the responsibility of Voluntary Housing Associations for the management and maintenance of dwellings provided by them under the Capital Loan & Subsidy Scheme (LSS) and the fact that the rent paid to the Voluntary & Co-Operative Housing Association is directly related to the incomes of tenants, an additional management and maintenance allowance is payable by housing authorities in respect of each completed dwelling funded under the scheme.
The amount of this allowance is €690 per unit per annum. It is a requirement of the scheme that these dwellings are occupied by tenants qualified for local authority housing whose tenancies have been approved by Dublin City Council in accordance with the terms of the scheme.
The subsidy year runs from 1st July to 30th June and payments are made in the first quarter of each calendar year. Claims for this allowance are made by Voluntary Housing Associations submitting to Dublin City Council the number of units eligible for this allowance and details of the lettings made.
Further information in relation to the Management and Maintenance Allowance can be found on the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government website www.environ.ie
Before you Submit an Application
In a proposal for funding it is Dublin City Council’s responsibility to ensure that the proposal represents good value for money, is in accordance with the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government Design Guidelines requirements for social housing and meets the housing needs established by our assessment of housing needs.
It is necessary to obtain loan sanction for all projects from the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government at planning stage i.e. prior to tenders being sought. In addition, it is necessary to obtain revised loan sanction for all projects at the post-tender stage before contracts are signed by the Voluntary & Co-Operative Housing Association i.e. regardless of whether the recommended tender is above or below the tender sum sanctioned by the Department at planning stage.
Therefore a Voluntary & Co-Operative Housing Association considering the commissioning of a housing project is advised to consult at an early stage with Dublin City Council about its proposal. They should not enter into commitments in respect of housing projects to be funded under the CAS or LSS in advance of the receipt of funding sanction from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
To assist us in dealing with applications for funding as speedily as possible it is important that all the necessary information is submitted at an early stage. Our checklist of items to be submitted should be referred to.