234. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether a dwelling being disposed of by a lender, receiver, mortgagee-in-possession or pursuant to a court judgment, can be acquired under the Second-Hand Social Housing Acquisitions Programme for tenancy sustainment purposes or to prevent a tenant from homelessness. [66024/26]

The Second-Hand Acquisitions Programme is a policy tool available to local authorities to support social housing qualified households in the most challenging and precarious housing situations, helping prevent them becoming homeless and supporting those in homelessness to exit into permanent housing.

To this end, a tenant-in-situ acquisition is often a critical intervention that helps sustain a tenancy and prevent a social housing qualified household in the private rental sector from becoming homeless. However, such acquisitions are not the only, or even primary, intervention available, and they should only be used when all other options, including a tenancy in an existing or new local authority or Approved Housing Body social home, have been exhausted.

The administration of the Second-Hand Acquisitions Programme is delegated to local authorities within the terms and conditions of the programme. Accordingly, any decision to progress an acquisition, including a tenant-in-situ acquisition is a matter for the relevant local authority to determine, having regard to the local circumstances, other options available, and whether an acquisition is the appropriate policy response in those circumstances.

That said, while each case must be judged locally on its own merits, the programme criteria do not preclude the acquisition of a rented home that is being sold by a lender receiver, mortgagee-in-possession, or pursuant to a court judgement, where relevant programme requirements are adhered to by the purchasing authority or Approved Housing Body.