06/03/23 Renewed appeal for Donegal properties to house Ukrainian people

Donegal County Council is appealing to those who have unoccupied properties to offer them as temporary homes for those fleeing war in Ukraine.

The renewed call is part of a government initiative, led by local authorities, to make use of unoccupied houses, apartments or holiday homes to house Ukrainian people and families.

A tax-free recognition payment of €800 per month is available for properties used to house those arriving from Ukraine.

More than 70,000 people have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine seeking safety and the vast majority need accommodation.

Under the ‘Offer a Home’ programme, Donegal County Council will take offers of houses, apartments or holiday homes for temporary accommodation, liaise with owners to assess suitability, and arrange for their use by Ukrainian people and families.

Property owners can offer homes at gov.ie/offerahome or by contacting the local authority in which the property is located.

Those who offer a property can expect to be contacted by the local authority within 5 working days of making their offer and an assessment of the property will be carried out by the local authority shortly after. The assessment is to ensure the property is habitable and to get some details so it can be matched to the most appropriate person or family.  

Anybody who offers a property will be able to check the status of their offer at any stage through the website www.gov.ie/offerahome

This is a call for stand-alone properties that are not occupied by others. Properties should be in liveable condition and, ideally, available for at least 6 months.

While rent will not be payable to those who offer properties, a tax-free recognition payment of €800 per month is available from the Department of Social Protection to those who offer accommodation to Ukrainians.

The Offer a Home programme began in late November last year and to date, more than 150 offers have been made to Donegal County Council

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Appealing to the people of Donegal to offer unused properties, Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, John G McLaughlin said; “The welcome Irish people have shown to those arriving from Ukraine has been exceptional, and we are so thankful to those who have already offered homes. We know that people are very anxious to help where they can so we’re appealing to anybody who has a suitable property and hasn’t been able to offer it before now to please consider getting in touch with us to find out what is involved.

“We understand that it can be daunting to offer a property to someone you don’t know. That is why local authorities will work with you throughout the process and be there to offer support while your property is being used.

“If you have a property that is otherwise going to be empty over the coming months, please consider offering it for those who badly need a safe home for a while,” Chief Executive, John G McLaughlin concluded.

To offer a property or for more information, visit www.gov.ie/offerahome

Ends.

Notes

• Under this programme, local authorities are seeking offers of stand-alone properties that are not occupied by others and have their own entrance door and all the main facilities required for independent living.
• This is not a call for properties that would be shared with the owner or others. Pledges of shared accommodation may be made via the Irish Red Cross.
• The public can offer a property by setting up an account at gov.ie/offerahome or by contacting the local authority in which the property is located. Contact details for local authorities are available on the Offer a Home website – gov.ie/offerahome
• Properties need to be habitable and must meet certain health and safety standards, agreed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
• The local authority will arrange to assess properties to make sure these standards are met.
• Ideally, properties would be available for 6 months or longer.
• Offers will not result in rental arrangements, and rent will not be paid. However, it is recommended that the owner and beneficiaries enter into a licence agreement. A template licence agreement can be provided by the local authority.
• The Government has introduced a Recognition Payment Scheme for those who provide accommodation to Ukrainians. Under this scheme, a monthly flat rate of €800 per property is payable to all those hosting Ukrainian temporary protection beneficiaries. The payment linked to a minimum hosting commitment of 6 months.