From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, today issued approval to use the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) to renovate St John’s Presbytery, a large vacant property in Waterford city centre and convert it into a centre for homeless women in a new pilot project expanding the RLS model to provide such accommodation.
The building will include nine apartments, six emergency units and a meeting room to provide support services to the residents. The Tinteán Housing Association will provide accommodation and services to up to 15 women experiencing homelessness in the renovated building. Work will commence shortly and the building is expected to be available for occupation by April 2026.
Minister for Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, James Browne, said:
“I am pleased to issue approval for this project. It will provide supported accommodation for 15 women experiencing homelessness and enable Tinteán, an experienced homeless service provider, to work with these women towards their exit from homelessness. Those experiencing homelessness are my top priority. I am committed to using any means at my disposal to make a difference and this innovative use of the repair and leasing scheme reflects that.”
This is a new departure for the Repair and Leasing Scheme which has previously been used to provide long term homes for households that qualify for social housing.
Under the scheme, a property owner is provided with an interest free loan to renovate their property. The renovated home is leased to the local authority or an AHB with the loan being repaid as a discount on the lease payment.
Minister of State for Planning, John Cummins emphasised:
“As a local TD, I am delighted to see this project which I have worked extensively on with all stakeholders move forward. As well as providing a much needed service to some of the most vulnerable in our city, the development will give new life to this historic building which has been vacant for many years and act as a catalyst for regeneration in this central location area of Waterford City.
“Indeed, the building will be ideal for the services to be provided. Within the setting of the Old Presbytery, Tintean will be able to offer individual living quarters for the women who access their complex and medium support services, thus affording them the anonymity and personal space to focus on their individual and personalised programmes.
“Waterford has been to the fore in the delivery of homes under the Repair and Lease scheme with over 50% of the national total delivered in Waterford. This is a scheme which I have consistently championed and I want to see Local Authorities nationally do more in this space.”
The repair and leasing scheme (RLS) is a social housing leasing scheme which assists private property owners to bring vacant properties back into use. The local authority (LA) or an approved housing body (AHB) provides a loan of up to €80,000 per unit to a private property owner to bring a vacant property up to residential tenancy standards. The refurbished units are then leased to the LA or AHB for between 5 and 25 years. The loan is recouped via an offset in the lease payment over an agreed term.
Funding of up to €80,000 per unit is available – in the St John’s Presbytery project, as 15 units will be provided, capital funding of €1,200,000 will be provided. This will be repaid over the life-time of the lease as a reduction in the lease payment.
Waterford City and County Council has delivered the most units via RLS in the country, including 71 homes for older people in a former vacant convent, St Joseph’s House, Manor Hill, Waterford City.
This is a pilot project expanding the RLS model to provide homeless accommodation.