Calls for urgent Government review as Kildare families face renewed risk of homelessness

At last month’s meeting of Kildare County Council, a motion tabled by Cllr Chris Pender (SD) and Cllr Pat Balfe (SD) was passed, calling on the Minister for Housing to urgently review and increase funding for the Tenant in Situ (TIS) scheme under the Second-Hand Acquisition Programme.

The motion comes as households in Kildare—many of them on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)—face notices to quit due to landlords selling their properties, and as recent Government changes to funding and eligibility for the scheme have left local authorities unable to act.

“The Tenant in Situ scheme was one of the few real tools we had that made a measurable difference in preventing homelessness,” said Cllr Chris Pender.

“In Kildare alone, 55 families were kept in their homes last year because the council was able to step in and purchase their properties. But now, due to sudden criteria changes and delays in Government funding, many more families – including single individuals, who’ve now been effectively excluded – are being left with no support. It’s unacceptable, and it needs to be reversed.”

Cllr Pat Balfe also highlighted the impact on families with complex needs: “We’re dealing with families where a child has autism, or complex medical needs. These families saw the Tenant in Situ scheme as their last hope. And now, they’re being told that hope is gone – not because the house isn’t available, but because the Government won’t fund it. That’s not just a housing issue – it’s a moral failure.”

Housing campaigner and Social Democrats local area representative Nuala Killeen added: “This decision effectively puts a lock on the emergency exit out of homelessness. The Council is reliant on adequate Government funding to make these purchases. Without that, no additional families will benefit.

“And with HAP limits too low to secure rentals in most of the County, and a lack of affordable homes or cost-rental options, the Tenant in Situ scheme was, for many families facing no-fault eviction, the only way to avoid homelessness.”

The motion, which was passed with broad support, calls on the Minister to:

• Immediately restore and ring-fence funding for Tenant in Situ purchases.

• Reverse the overly narrow eligibility criteria imposed earlier this year.

• Ensure flexibility in refurbishments and valuation thresholds.

• Empower local authorities to act quickly when a home is at risk of being lost.

The councillors also called for a fairer and more inclusive approach, warning that excluding single people, older individuals, and others in smaller households from the scheme was worsening inequality and increasing demand for emergency housing.

“This is not just about bricks and mortar – it’s about lives, stability, and dignity,” said Cllr Pender.

“We cannot afford to stand still while more families are pushed toward crisis. The Government must act.”

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