My Department is working with housing authorities and other social housing providers to provide social housing for people on the housing waiting list. In 2014, it is expected that 6,000 additional social housing units will be delivered across all social housing programmes. The Social Housing Strategy, a Government commitment in Construction 2020, will provide the basis for an enhanced approach to social housing provision. The Strategy will be both challenging and innovative, and will contain clear actions that are to be taken to increase supply and most importantly, reduce the number of people on waiting lists.
The measures in the Strategy will complement recent Budget announcements, which provided for a multi-annual approach to the provision of social housing with a considerable increase in Exchequer investment and proposals for innovative funding approaches to increase supply.
I expect the Strategy to be finalised and published in the coming weeks.