The Government is acutely aware of the difficulties facing people in accessing housing and is undertaking a range of actions to address the matter.
My Department’s Housing Land Availability Survey (HLAS) estimates that there is in excess of 25,000 hectares of undeveloped residentially zoned land nationally, which equates to a capacity for over 500,000 new homes (based on a national average of 20 units per hectare). This capacity is considered to be sufficient to meet the housing requirements nationally for in excess of the next ten years.
The challenge is to translate this potential supply line into actual construction on the ground to meet the demand of home seekers. Most of the difficulties currently being encountered can be addressed by increasing the supply of properties available to buy, to rent, and to be provided by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
The Government recognises that a whole of Government approach, working in close cooperation with key stakeholders, is the only way to tackle the challenge of increasing the supply of housing. The implementation of the Construction Strategy 2020 forms the basis for a properly functioning and sustainable construction sector. It provides for a strategic approach to the provision of housing based on real and measured demand and addresses the full range of relevant issues including the planning process, financing, access to mortgage finance, and developing the construction workforce. Construction 2020, and two Planning Bills currently being drafted, aim to remove blockages from the system in order to support increased supply, reducing the pressure on house price growth and helping homebuyers to acquire a family home in their community of choice at reasonable cost.
Measures to increase supply will also impact positively on the private rental sector. Historically, the private rental sector has been characterised by small scale landlords. Attracting large scale investment in professionally managed residential property, for example using Real Estate Investment Trusts and other options for long-term investment, has an important role to play in helping to deliver a more professional and higher quality sector.
Social housing is also a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced for social housing in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014. The Strategy builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list.
The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme, will address the needs of the 90,000 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand. This will help to ease pressure on the private sector.
In 2015, I expect that some 7,400 new social housing units will be provided-3,000 units through the leasing initiative; 1,000 vacant local authority units will be returned to use through a programme of refurbishment; a further 1,400 units to be built or acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies through the Social Housing Investment Programme and the Capital Assistance Scheme; and a further 2,000 new Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units will be delivered. In addition, 8,400 households will be assisted through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
I will be continuing to assign the highest priority to the implementation of both Construction 2020 and the Social Housing Strategy.
