The Government also yesterday introduced its Action on Housing strategy, which combines recommendations from the Bacon report with measures to improve the supply of social housing.
Details of the social and affordable housing measures - which include a rise in income limits for those who quality for local authority-assisted housing - were announced by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr Robert Molloy.
According to Mr Molloy, the income limits for the Affordable Housing and Shared Ownership schemes have been reviewed to take account of pay rises and house-price increases. The income eligibility will be raised to £25,000 per year for a single-income family, with 2 1/2 times that amount for a double-income household, subject to a maximum of £62,500.
The mortgage and rental subsidies also increase. Households with a gross income of £20,000 or less will qualify for a mortgage subsidy, under the Affordable Housing Scheme. The rental subsidy scheme will also apply to households with an income of £20,000 or less.
A site subsidy of up to £30,000 in major urban areas and £25,000 in other areas will be provided under the new Affordable Housing Scheme. The sites subsidy will also apply to houses built under the Shared Ownership Scheme.
The local authority loan limit will be increased to £100,000. The Government is also to increase the funding available for voluntary housing bodies for site acquisition. This will rise from £20,000 per site in major urban areas to £30,000, and from £15,000 to £25,000 in other areas.
The mortgage allowance for tenants buying or building a private house is to be doubled from £4,500 to £9,000, over five years.
Local authorities, particularly in urban areas, will be encouraged to build smaller houses, geared towards elderly people. The net proceeds from the sale of a home for assessment for an old age pension will be increased from £75,000 to £150,000.
