To: Minister James Browne, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
🏠Make Tenant-in-Situ Scheme Work for Individuals and Families Facing Eviction
CATU Ireland
✊ We, the undersigned and Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) Ireland, call on Minister James Browne to:
- Establish a mandatory Tenant in Situ Purchase Policy – if a tenant qualifies for social housing and their landlord is selling, the council must purchase the property. Recent government purchase guidelines on TIS purchases must be scrapped.
- Implement and increase funding and resources from the Department of Housing to allow for local authorities to purchase homes at real market value.
- Introduce mandatory refurbishments to bring properties up to at least minimum housing standards.
- Instate flexible processes to prevent sales falling through over red tape or unrealistic cost caps. For example: Introduce a shared-ownership model so tenants have the option to co-purchase their homes with the council and build long-term housing security.
Why is this important?
The Tenant-in-Situ (TiS) scheme was created to prevent homelessness by allowing local authorities to purchase homes where tenants are at risk of no-fault evictions. But right now, it’s failing the people it was meant to protect.
Instead of keeping renters in their homes, the scheme is underfunded, tied up in red tape and restricted by narrow criteria. Local authorities are often unable to buy properties in high-demand areas, even when the tenant qualifies — simply because they’re priced out or the home needs renovation. This is despite the fact that an estimated 75% of rental properties don’t meet minimum housing standards.
People are being forced out of their homes, away from their communities, schools, doctors and support networks — not because it’s inevitable, but because the system isn’t working.
Tenant-in-Situ should be a powerful tool for prevention — not just a box-ticking exercise. It's time to fix it so individuals and families facing eviction can truly stay in their homes and communities.
Tenant-in-Situ should be a powerful tool for prevention — not just a box-ticking exercise. It's time to fix it so individuals and families facing eviction can truly stay in their homes and communities.
✍️ Sign this petition and help us hold the government accountable.#MakeTiSWork
#TenantInSitu #HomesNotEvictions #HousingCrisis #FixTheSystem
Firsthand Accounts from CATU Members Affected by the Failed Tenant-in-Situ Scheme:
Jenny Roche, a CATU member who was denied the Tenant in Situ Scheme, commented: “A scheme like Tenant-in-situ cannot work effectively without the ability to compel both local authority and landlord to engage, possibly in a CPO-type arrangement. Otherwise tenants- regardless of length of tenure - are at the whim of landlord greed in a 'sky's the limit' property market and/or local authority ineffectiveness. My own experience of 9 months of hope dashed 5 days before our notice of termination came due because the landlord refused the council's offer was devastating. My family had been tenants of the house for almost 20 years and the landlord expected us to vacate immediately. I had been advised by the office of my local TD Catherine Connolly's office that the scheme was 'a joke' and that proved to be the case.”
Amelia Melanson, CATU member, added: “The Government’s policy not to refurbish homes is a failed opportunity to upgrade Ireland’s housing stock, which is in terrible condition. Nearly three-quarters of privately rented properties inspected by local authorities fail to meet minimum standards. Denying tenants this scheme due to refurbishment costs effectively punishes them for their landlord’s neglect. Moreover, in a housing crisis and in a climate crisis, we should not just be focused on building more housing but ensuring that existing property is safe and liveable for tenants.”
Firsthand Accounts from CATU Members Affected by the Failed Tenant-in-Situ Scheme:
Jenny Roche, a CATU member who was denied the Tenant in Situ Scheme, commented: “A scheme like Tenant-in-situ cannot work effectively without the ability to compel both local authority and landlord to engage, possibly in a CPO-type arrangement. Otherwise tenants- regardless of length of tenure - are at the whim of landlord greed in a 'sky's the limit' property market and/or local authority ineffectiveness. My own experience of 9 months of hope dashed 5 days before our notice of termination came due because the landlord refused the council's offer was devastating. My family had been tenants of the house for almost 20 years and the landlord expected us to vacate immediately. I had been advised by the office of my local TD Catherine Connolly's office that the scheme was 'a joke' and that proved to be the case.”
Amelia Melanson, CATU member, added: “The Government’s policy not to refurbish homes is a failed opportunity to upgrade Ireland’s housing stock, which is in terrible condition. Nearly three-quarters of privately rented properties inspected by local authorities fail to meet minimum standards. Denying tenants this scheme due to refurbishment costs effectively punishes them for their landlord’s neglect. Moreover, in a housing crisis and in a climate crisis, we should not just be focused on building more housing but ensuring that existing property is safe and liveable for tenants.”
Another CATU member who is facing eviction after being denied the Tenant in Situ Scheme commented: “It’s terrifying to be in this position – knowing we have nowhere else to go. It’s devastating to realise that even when you’ve done everything right – paid your rent, built a life, raised your child in a community – the system can still turn its back on you. The uncertainty is affecting every part of our lives: my ability to parent, maintain friendships, and keep working. We’re stuck in limbo – we can’t make plans, we don’t know what’s coming, and we’re carrying the weight of a crisis we didn’t create. I live every day with the fear of losing our home.”
Catarina Koch, CATU member commented: “We need an eviction ban now. Eviction does not just force people out of their homes. It forces people away from their school, their livelihood, and their support network. The Tenant in Situ scheme is another powerful tool to keep people in their communities and out of homelessness. Instead of expanding this vital safety net, the Government is slowly restricting it so that fewer tenants can avail of the scheme. The Government should be listening to people who have been denied this scheme to understand what the real problems are and understand how to make Tenant in Situ work.”
Another CATU member who is facing eviction after being denied the Tenant in Situ Scheme commented:“I’ve gone back to college as a part-time mature student while also working. I’ve fought tooth and nail to build a life for me and my child — to keep a roof over our heads through everything, even during illness and unemployment. I never missed a rent payment, never missed a bill. I always made sure the landlord was paid first. I’ve held this household together completely on my own, with no family support, for over a decade. Through sheer grit and determination, I’ve managed to improve our lives — only to now have our security and stability ripped away. All those years of sacrifice, of blood, sweat, and tears — it feels like they meant nothing. The housing crisis sends a cruel message: even your absolute best is never enough.”
No one should have to face eviction alone. If you or someone you know has been affected by a failed Tenant-in-Situ case or is facing the threat of homelessness, get in touch with CATU: [email protected]
