Dublin: A tenant-in-situ scheme designed by the government to avoid evicting tenants in the name of selling is riddled with loopholes. It is primarily claimed that the much-anticipated government scheme will provide an opportunity for home owners to profit. There is also the issue of the needy not being able to find housing.
The tenant-in-situ scheme was devised to prevent the eviction of tenants for sale. The scheme would have allowed tenants to buy their rented house if they wanted, or for local authorities to buy these houses from the landlords and give them to tenants as social housing. Thus, the scheme also provided an opportunity for the tenants to stay in their houses.
But this is not what actually happens. The main issue is that tenants have little say in this transaction between landlords and local authorities. The only true beneficiaries of this scheme are homeowners.
This gives them an opportunity to sell the house at a bargain price, saying that the price is lower than the market price. Local authority officials are usually unwilling to negotiate with the landlord or reduce the rent. Some local councils and officials are very sincere about helping tenants. But all of that actually ends up giving the homeowner a big financial boost.
Another problem is the inability of local authorities to purchase houses outside their area. Despite being on the waiting list, the tenants are unable to find alternative housing. The scheme only allows for the purchase of houses for sale in their area.
As a result, authorities are compelled to purchase houses even if there are no tenants on the waiting list. However, these houses are unable to accommodate tenants from other areas. As a result, the waiting list cannot be reduced.
Solutions to these problems and experts are suggested by those working in this sector. One way is to exclude the local authority to buy houses in this scheme and assign it to a central agency that is not directly related to this sector. The Cost Rental Scheme is one such scheme that has been implemented. It is believed that the tenant-in-situ scheme can be dismantled through this model.
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