Housing Act, 1988
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Housing assessments. |
9.—(1) A housing authority shall, within one year of the commencement of this section and thereafter not less frequently than every three years and as the Minister may, from time to time, direct, make, in accordance with this section, an assessment of the need for the provision by the authority of adequate and suitable housing accommodation for persons— | |
(a) whom the authority have reason to believe require, or are likely to require, accommodation from the authority, and | ||
(b) who, in the opinion of the authority, are in need of such accommodation and are unable to provide it from their own resources. | ||
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a housing authority in making an assessment under this section shall have regard to the need for housing of persons who— | ||
(a) are homeless, | ||
(b) are persons to whom section 13 applies, | ||
(c) are living in accommodation that is unfit for human habitation or is materially unsuitable for their adequate housing, | ||
(d) are living in overcrowded accommodation, | ||
(e) are sharing accommodation with another person or persons and who, in the opinion of the housing authority, have a reasonable requirement for separate accommodation, | ||
(f) are young persons leaving institutional care or without family accommodation, | ||
(g) are in need of accommodation for medical or compassionate reasons, | ||
(h) are elderly, | ||
(i) are disabled or handicapped, or | ||
(j) are, in the opinion of the housing authority, not reasonably able to meet the cost of the accommodation which they are occupying or to obtain suitable alternative accommodation. | ||
(3) In making an assessment under this section, a housing authority shall have regard to such directions as may, from time to time, be given by the Minister. | ||
(4) Before making an assessment under this section, a housing authority shall give one month's notice of their intention to do so to— | ||
(a) any housing authority whose functional area adjoins the functional area of the authority giving the notice, | ||
(b) any health board established under the Health Act, 1970 , whose functional area includes or adjoins the functional area of the authority giving the notice, and | ||
(c) such bodies as the authority see fit including voluntary or non-profit making organisations engaged in the provision of housing accommodation in the functional area of the authority or other organisations whose purposes include the provision of accommodation, shelter or welfare. | ||
(5) Subject to this section, a housing authority may, to such extent (if any) as the authority consider appropriate, include in an assessment under this section need arising from the requirements of persons who are residing outside the functional area of the authority. | ||
(6) A housing authority shall submit an assessment under this section to the Minister on or before such date as he may, from time to time, direct. |