HOME PURCHASE LOAN:

A first time buyer whose gross income does not exceed €50,000 (one earner) €75,000 (two earners) can qualify for a loan of up to 97% of the market value of a house (max loan €220,000) from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

You must be working continuously for at least two years, and have a deposit of at least €6,600. (Tel: 2225020)

Mortgage is charged at a variable €2.81% (including mortgage protection) costing €0.88 per €1,000 (30 year loan)

SHARED OWNERSHIP is still an option for this income group, but with payment on the rented portion only 5% cheaper than an equivalent mortgage, its only attraction is lower deposit (€3,000) and a higher funding level (max €275,000)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING SCHEME is still in operation but there are not many offers available (posted on www.affordablehome.ie) and they are not much cheaper than the open market.

In all three cases, the Council applies an affordability test that requires that payments on the house do not exceed 35% of your after tax income and also do credit checks. If your gross household income is under €28,000 you will get a subsidy of €20 per week under €20,000; €35 per week under € ,000 , etc. up to a maximum of €50.

 

HOME CHOICE LOAN:

Persons on income over €40,000 can apply to the city council for a loan, if a broker shows that they have refused by two lending agencies, of up to 92% of the market value of a NEW house (max loan €285,000) at a variable rate of 3.35%

 

SUPPORTED HOUSING PAYMENTS:

If neither partner is working over 30 hours per week, a supplement towards rent or mortgage interest is payable, if, after paying these, you are left with less than €172 (single), €302.10 (married), plus €29.80 for each child. The supplement brings your income back up to this level. You are not eligible if either you or your spouse is working full-time.

To be eligible for the rent supplement you must be:

• Either already renting (or in homeless accommodation) for at least six months, or already on the Council’s housing needs list.
• Otherwise you must be first assessed by the Council as in housing need (emergency cases fast tracked by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council).

No supplement will be paid where the rent exceeds the ceilings for different family size (e.g. €1,110 per month for family with two children, in Dublin, but these ceilings are to be reduced during 2010). In the means test, Family Income Supplement, PRSI, the cost of travelling to work, and the first €75 plus 25% of the balance of other income (e.g. part-time work under 30 hours) are disregarded. The first €95.23 of maintenance payments is assessed, above that, the income disregard applies.

People going back to full-time work (>30 hours) can only retain part supplement under its means-test if the Council has deemed them eligible for the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

Under the Rent Accommodation Scheme, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council can now enter into long-term contracts with a Private Landlord on behalf of a person in need of housing who has been on rent supplement for more than 18 months. An income related Rent will be calculated {i.e. 15% of after tax income in excess of €32 (single) €64 (couple)}. If you take up work you still get a subsidized rent. If the Landlord withdraws, the council is obliged to secure another tenancy for the family (For details, Tel: 2054847).

To be eligible for supplement on Mortgage Interest:

• the loan must have been for the purchase, repair or essential improvement of your home, and
• the accommodation is deemed no greater than needed for the family. If the accommodation is too large or too expensive (relative to the rent ceiling), the supplement may be restricted to only 12 months.

People going back to work (over 30 hours) or Community Employment Schemes will have tapered withdrawal of interest supplement over 4 year (75%, 50%, 25% and 25%) so long as your gross household income (excluding PRSI, travel, Back To Work and FIS) does not exceed €317.50/week.

 

HOUSING AID FOR PENSIONERS:

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Tel: 205 4847) has suspended new applications for its Housing Aid schemes since July 2009 but it is hoped they will they reopen in January 2010. The full grants below apply if the gross income of the owner and their spouse is less than €30,000, dropping on a graduated basis to 30% for incomes €54,000 – €65,000, but no grant over that.

They are:

• Housing Aid For Older People – a 100% grant in owner occupied homes, where they are beyond repair, of up to €10,500 for structural repairs or improvements, rewiring, or replacement of windows and doors, heating, water, sanitary services.
• Mobility Aids – a 100% grant of up to €6,000 to address mobility problems, certified by a doctor (e.g. rails, ramps, stair-lifts and level access showers) in owned or private rented homes.
• Housing Adaptation (Disability) – a 95% grant of up to €30,000 to adapt a home to suit the needs of a person with an enduring disability (e.g. downstairs toilet/showers, wheelchair adaptation, extension etc.) in owned or private rented homes. The works must be certifi ed necessary by a doctor and may require an Occupational Therapist Report.

Senior citizens who own their own house may sell it to the Council and seek Council Senior Citizens accommodation. They must give the Corporation one third of the proceeds of the sale (aged 60-70) or less if over 70.

 

WARMER HOMES:

Sustainable Energy Ireland fund a Home Insulation scheme for pensioners, incapacitated and those on Fuel Allowance through Energy Action and CHIP.

• Energy Action (Tel: 454 5464) will insulate attics, draught-proof doors and windows, fit a lagging jacket, smoke alarm and two energy saving light bulbs, fit a mortice lock and spy hole. The service is free to pensioners but their budget is limited and applications have to be prioritised.
• CHIP (Tel: 467 0344) will do a full insulation package including insulation of cavity walls but have a minimum charge of €100 for a standard 3-bed house.

 

GREENER HOMES:

Sustainable Energy Ireland (tel. 1805 734 734) provides grants to homeowners for insulation of Roof (up to €250), Cavity Wall (€400), Internal Wall (€2,500), External Wall (€4,000), for Heating Control (€500, + €200 in new boiler)

To qualify, you must apply for measures with a minimum grant of €500 for a first application. Along with your insulation works you can get €200 grant for a Building Energy Rating (B.E.R.). Grants will typically cover 20–30% of the full cost. Energy savings of up to 50% can be achieved. It also gives up to €2,500 for the installation of an approved list of renewable energy heating systems (heat pumps, solar or wood pellet systems) fitted by approved installers. An easy pay system is to be introduced by the Energy Companies in 2010.

 

SAFER HOMES:

Locks, chain reinforcing, security lighting and “pendant” alarms are now available on a year-round basis from certain Voluntary Agencies such as

• Northside Homecare Services, Cromcastle Rd. (Tel: 8478410) (with funding from Social Welfare)
• Society of St.Vincent de Paul, Griffith Ave. (Tel: 8053667) (with funding from Social Welfare)
• Friends of the Elderly offer flexible assistance with odd jobs for older people (Tel: 8731855)
• Age Action Ireland has a team of volunteers available to do odd jobs for pensioners in Dublin 3, 9 and 17. They also have a list of honest and trustworthy tradesmen. (Lo Call) 1890 369 369.