DUBLIN Corporation has at least 11 evictions listed for later this month. Four, possibly five, involve households which are in rent arrears. The remainder are squatters. Originally there were eight arrears evictions listed for May, but to date three of those have been settled. A fifth may yet be settled. The tenants had arrears of £4,000, but on reassessment it was discovered the amount due was actually £1,500. It has yet to be paid.
In the remaining four cases amounts due in arrears range from £1,000 to £2,300.
In each case, the people concerned have already been informed that eviction is to take place, as has the Eastern Health Board (EHB). These evictions are the first planned to take place within the Dublin Corporation area since an attempt was made to remove Ms Joan Cunningham, and four of her children, from their home at Ladyswell in west Dublin on March 21st last. It failed when over £7,000 raised through The Gay Byrne Show was used to pay her £5,900 arrears. However, two other evictions did take place in Clondalkin that day. In one instance the householders had already left when the city sheriff arrived, and in the other case a couple and their 2 1/2 year old daughter were removed. They owed £900 in arrears. Afterwards they went to Focus Point, the agency for the homeless, and spent a night at hostels. The next day they emigrated to Britain.
These evictions follow the implementation of a new get tough policy by Dublin Corporation, particularly where arrears are concerned. Last year over 100 evictions took place in the Dublin Corporation area, over half of them for arrears.
In a review of the Corporation's rent scheme, published last December, the Assistant City Manager, Mr Owen Keegan, explained that the level of rent arrears owed to the Corporation by its 31,345 tenants, as of November 10th last year, was £7.49 million. The corporation is often seen as a lender of last resort", he said, and "the fundamental principle that every tenant must pay his or her rent on time and in full needs to be reestablished. Acceptance of this principle will be reinforced by a clear understanding that failure to pay rent will lead to eventual eviction in every case."
Ms Cunningham had been paying £20 a week rent regularly, but owed arrears which had accumulated over 10 years. Her income is £131 a week, from which she had agreed to pay the £20 rent plus £12 in arrears per week, as well as feed and clothe herself and five children under 18. She fell behind last October, and was deemed eligible for eviction.
According to Mr Keegan's review, the corporation has an obligation to those tenants who pay their rents to ensure that de faulters are pursued rigorously."
Of the 31,345 tenants (85 per cent of whom receive social welfare) an estimated 77.5 per cent are deemed to be in arrears, 42.7 per cent owe more than £75 and are therefore deemed to be "in serious arrears". Of that latter figure 7.2 per cent owe over £900, while just 0.3 per cent owe more than £4,000.
When it decides to evict, the corporation informs a local community welfare officer. After eviction the family can go to Focus Point or seek EHB help in securing hostel accommodation. Children go with their mother to a female hostel, the father to a men's hostel.
Subsequently they move to a B&B, paid for at the going market rate, before they secure private rented accommodation, which is also paid for at the going rate. Payment for the post eviction accommodation comes through the Eastern Health Board, in the form of a "rent supplement".
An EHB spokeswoman said there was "no ceiling" on this supplement, but that there was a "value for money" regulation.
She also indicated that, for a family, such private rented accommodation can cost up to £250 a month in Dublin.
However, it was estimated that the cost of renting a private house for Ms Cunningham and her family in west Dublin would have been £400 a month, five times her corporation rent.
The health board cannot get involved with a corporation tenant in rent arrears difficulties until eviction takes place. On receipt of notification that such an eviction is to take place, the local community welfare officer visits the household to make arrangements for storing furniture and so on. It is then the evicted tenant's own responsibility to secure alternative rented accommodation, though, when requested to do so, health board officers can and do assist.
Pressed for comment on the matter, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Ms Liz McManus, said: "Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Acts for the management of their rented housing stock including the collection of rents and the measures that may be appropriate where there is default in making rent payments."
