The Government’s Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, published in May 2014, aims to build a competitive, innovative, and sustainable construction sector. My intention is that the Social Housing Strategy, required under Action 8 of “Construction 2020”, and now in preparation, will be both challenging and innovative, and will provide the basis for an enhanced approach to social housing provision in Ireland. The Social Housing Strategy will contain clear measurable actions that are to be taken to increase the supply of social housing and, most importantly, reduce the number of people on waiting lists over the next five years. I expect that the Strategy will be ready for consideration by Government in the coming weeks.
Construction 2020 also provides for a National Framework for Housing Supply to be established on a statutory footing with an annual National Statement of Projected Housing Supply and Demand published every June. The Housing Agency has been asked to take the lead in implementing this Action.
The proper management of all State land is critical; accordingly, both lands that have been transferred to the Housing Agency and local authority held lands suitable for development will be the first sites considered in any future targeted social housing building programme. In line with the commitments under Construction 2020, a Housing Supply Co-ordination Task Force for Dublin has been established with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues.
The Review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts, which provides for social and affordable housing supply, has been completed by the Housing Agency, at my Department’s request, and will be submitted to Government shortly. It is anticipated that any legislative changes required on foot of the review will, subject to Government approval, be incorporated into the General Scheme of a new Planning Bill, which is expected to be published shortly.
As the extent of social housing gain from Part V is directly related to private housing construction, there is currently very limited Part V delivery in terms of social housing. I am committed to the principle of a social housing gain from private development but to maximise that gain we need a properly functioning and sustainable construction sector. I believe that the Part V mechanism has the potential to, again, be a significant contributor to social housing in the context of a recovering housing market.
I expect the final output across all social housing programmes for 2014 to be in the region of 6,000 units. The number and method of delivery of social housing units in future years will be determined in the course of the annual Estimates process and will be informed by the Social Housing Strategy. My Department engages with individual local authorities, including Dublin City Council, on an ongoing basis in relation to both proposals for new social housing initiatives and the delivery of existing social housing programmes.
