Sinn Féin's John Brady Blasts Government Over Collapse In CAS Funding For Vulnerable Housing Needs

The cuts in funding are impacting housing for vulnerable individuals like the elderly and disabled.

A reduction in the Capital Assistance Scheme, providing housing bodies with funding to buy or build homes for the elderly and those with disabilities is raising concerns.

Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has said it leaves housing bodies in limbo and vulnerable people without hope of suitable accommodation.

In 2022, the county council recouped over €40m in funding which secured 90 completed homes and six acquired homes, compared to less than €5m in the last two years which saw just nine homes secured.

Deputy Brady met with a provider of care for people with intellectual disabilities who shared serious concerns that the adults they support cannot access shared housing because the funding is simply not there in the way it was in previous years.

“In 2022, Wicklow County Council recouped over €40 million in CAS funding, compared to just €2.7 million in 2023 and €2.1 million in 2024,” Deputy Brady said. “In 2022, this funding delivered 90 completed homes and 6 acquired homes. That dropped to just 9 homes in both 2023 and 2024, and worryingly, so far this year not a single home has been completed or acquired using CAS funds in Wicklow. That is nothing short of scandalous.”
 

The Deputy warned that this collapse in funding leaves housing bodies in limbo and vulnerable people without hope of suitable accommodation.

“Age-friendly accommodation must be made available for elderly people who can no longer remain in their family home. People with disabilities deserve the same independence, dignity, and opportunity to live happy lives as anyone else. I have been contacted by one elderly parent who fears that when she is no longer able to look after her daughter with an intellectual disability, her daughter will be placed in a care facility, when with the right accommodation, she could continue to live a full and independent life.”

Deputy Brady said the drop in CAS investment is part of a wider trend, with funding for other vital schemes also being cut.

“This follows the same pattern we saw with the tenant in situ scheme, which allowed local authorities to purchase homes of those on the social housing list when the property was being sold. That scheme has proven to be an effective way to prevent homelessness, but like CAS, it has been allowed to wither due to government neglect.”

“With house prices soaring, the need for proper funding has never been greater. The government must restore CAS funding to previous levels so that our most vulnerable citizens can access the housing they need, whether that is age-friendly homes for older people or supported housing for people with disabilities. Anything less is a betrayal of those who rely on us to provide a safe, secure place to live.”