No increase in funding for scheme which prevents Wexford renters from falling into homelessness
Wexford PeopleWexford County Council (WCC) has confirmed that it has received no increase in funding for a housing scheme which protects renters who face eviction through no fault of their own.
Under the tenant-in-situ scheme, a local authority can purchase a house being sold by a landlord and rent it out to the exising tenant, thus preventing them from falling into homelessness.
However, following a query from Councillor Tom Forde, a senior official at WCC has said that it will receive €6m to purchases homes under the tenant-in-situ scheme for 2026, the same figure it received last year.
Speaking at the March meeting of WCC, Ms Carolyne Godkin said the funding was “targeted specifically around disability and homelessness in instances where we can’t provide housing through our own stock” and that the property had to have been used for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) for at least two years.
“So, there’s no increase in last year?” asked Cllr Forde who said he was working with some tenants whose eviction date was “fast approaching”.
In response, Ms Godkin said there was some “overrun” from last year but that, in essence, the funding received by the council was the same.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Forde expressed his dismay at the news that Wexford had received no additional funding under the scheme.
"The recent announcement by Housing Minister, James Browne, that there was to BE increased national funding for the tenant-in-situ programme should have been welcome news for families facing housing insecurity. However, it has now been confirmed that Wexford has received no increase in funding for this year."
"At a time when housing pressures remain severe, this decision is extremely disappointing."
Describing the scheme as a “vital lifeline” for families at risk of eviction, Cllr Forde said that without “increased funding” and “greater flexibility” the council’s ability to protect vulnerable tenants will remain “severely limited".
“It is difficult to understand how the minister can publicly announce increased national funding while his own home county of Wexford sees no meaningful improvement in its allocation,” continued the Sinn Féin councillor. “Families who are facing the loss of their homes will rightly question why this critical support is not being strengthened locally.
"I am calling on the minister to urgently review Wexford’s allocation, provide a significant increase in funding, and relax the overly restrictive criteria so that the council can intervene more quickly and effectively where tenants are at risk. It is hard to explain how the Minister’s own constituency can be left operating with the same limited funding and restrictive rules while housing pressures continue to grow.”
Minister James Browne has been contacted for comment.