Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 September 2013
141. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a deadline in place for the National Asset Management Agency to transfer a number of its properties to social housing initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40122/13]
View answerNAMA continues to work closely with my Department, the Housing Agency and with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in relation to the delivery of social housing. To date, NAMA has identified over 4,300 residential properties, controlled by its debtors and receivers, under this initiative as being potentially available for social housing. Demand has been confirmed by the local authorities for 1,899 of these properties with a further 291 properties currently being evaluated bringing the total that may be deemed potentially suitable to 2,190. The local authorities have confirmed that, of the properties identified, 1,359 are considered unsuitable by reference to sustainable planning and housing policy or are located in areas with no demand. More than 800 other properties have been sold or privately let by their owners or receivers since they were identified by NAMA.
It is difficult to put a specific deadline in place when one is dealing with multiple property transfers with varying degrees of difficulty attached to them. In the main this is due to the complexities of getting agreement from multiple parties operating within an environment subject to a range of legal and financial constraints. Within this context significant progress has been made with 296 properties having been delivered for social housing from NAMA's portfolio at the end of Quarter 2 2013, including contracts signed in respect of a further 101 properties. This brings the overall total number of residential properties completed or committed to social housing at that point to just under 400 properties. NAMA have recently indicated their confidence in the potential delivery of 2,000 units through this process. It will continue to be my Department's objective to maximise the delivery of social housing using all of the resources available.
The next quarterly updates in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units will be available shortly at www.housing.ie
