The regulation of housing associations/ approved housing bodies (AHBs) has been an objective of Government for some time, essentially to ensure that housing provided by AHBs is well governed and managed. The ICSH has been advocating on behalf of members in regard to the proposed regulation of the sector and working closely with the Minister and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) to ensure that the regulation of AHBs is established on a robust, fair and transparent footing.
In September 2015, the Government gave its approval to the drafting of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill, which was the first step to establishing a statutory Regulator for the sector. Pre-Legislative Scrutiny was undertaken in December 2015 and the report was laid before the Oireachtas in February 2016. The ICSH appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing and made a Submission on the draft legislation. In July 2019 the Bill was published. The Bill passed the Report and Final Stage in the Dáil on 3 December 2019 and was enacted on 23 December 2019.
- The Act provides for the establishment of a Regulator to oversee the effective governance, financial management and performance of AHBs.
- The Regulator will aim to safeguard public and private investment in the AHB sector. The statutory regulatory framework will provide further assurances to investors, tenants, the Government and to the sector itself that social housing providers operate in a well-regulated and stable environment.
The ICSH drafted a briefing note for member organisations. Shortly before the Bill was enacted.
You can download the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 from the Oireachtas.ie website.
