Voluntary Housing bodies play an important role in providing rental housing throughout the country for people who could not otherwise provide suitable accommodation from their own resources.
The Voluntary Housing Bodies decide on the types of housing projects/services they will provide with regard to the local need. They are responsible for tenancy allocations in consultation with the Local Authority.
Limerick City and County Council actively supports the Voluntary Housing Sector in Limerick. Presently there are approximately 1,135 voluntary housing units owned and managed by approved Housing Bodies in Limerick City and County Council.
Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS)
The Capital Assistance Scheme provides financial assistance to approved bodies engaged in the provision of housing. The scheme caters for the priority groups under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), such as homeless persons, elderly, people with a disability with a particular emphasis, but not exclusively on moving people from a congregated setting into community based living.
CAS - Call for Proposals 2017
Approved Housing Bodies are invited to submit cost-effective and sustainable construction and /or acquisition proposals, to meet the housing needs of people through the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). For more information click here.
Capital Advance Leasing Facility
The Capital Advance Leasing Facility is a facility which is available to Approved Housing Bodies to assist them in accessing private or housing finance agency finance for the purchase/construction of units of accommodation that will be made available for social housing purposes under the leasing initiative.
Other Information
Voluntary Regulatory Code (VRC) for Approved Housing Bodies
In July 2013 the Minister for Housing and Planning launched a Voluntary Regulation Code (VRC) for the sector. This is the first step in a regulatory process which will provide a framework within which statutory regulation of the Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) sector will be developed and it is expected to have statutory regulation of the sector in place by 2016. The VRC will assist AHBs to improve their governance, management and financial capabilities in anticipation of statutory regulation and will facilitate better interim oversight of the sector.
Approved Housing Bodies have been urged to sign up to the VRC and may contact their representative and advisory bodies (ICSH or Nabco) for any guidance required in relation to the Code. It is anticipated that AHBs in receipt of state funding will have signed up to the Code.
Contact Information
Voluntary Housing Unit
Merchants Quay
Limerick
Phone: +353 61 557391
Email: housing@limerick.ie