Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002

Allocation of affordable houses.

8.—(1) Each housing authority shall establish a scheme that determines the order of priority to be accorded to persons to whom affordable houses are made available for sale under this Part where the number of persons applying to the housing authority to purchase a house exceeds the number of houses available.

(2) For the purposes of establishing a scheme referred to in subsection (1), the housing authority shall have regard to the following:

(a) the accommodation needs of persons to whom affordable houses are made available for sale, in particular persons who have not previously purchased or built a house for their occupation or for any other purpose;

(b) the current housing circumstances of persons to whom affordable houses are made available for sale;

(c) the period for which persons to whom affordable houses are made available for sale have resided in the functional area of the housing authority;

(d) distance of affordable housing from places of employment of persons to whom affordable houses are made available for sale; and

(e) such other matters as the housing authority considers appropriate.

(3) A housing authority may review a scheme made under this section and, as it considers appropriate, make amendments to the scheme or make a new scheme.

(4) The making of a scheme under this section and the making of an amendment to any such scheme shall be reserved functions.