Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 June 2015
225. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update regarding the implementation of the Social Housing Strategy 2015 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24125/15]
View answerSince the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014 positive progress on the implementation of the measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing and reform delivery arrangements has been made. A clear governance structure has been put in place, which Minister of State Paudie Coffey and I personally oversee, to ensure delivery of all actions. Dedicated groups have been established in Dublin and Cork with a lead role in driving increased delivery of social housing in these important areas.
In the context of the delivery of new social housing units, ambitious targets have been set for local authorities for the period 2015 – 2017 with the announcement on 1 April 2015 of over €1.5 billion to be invested in a combination of building, purchase and leasing schemes, to accommodate 25% of those currently on the social housing waiting lists. Full details of the targets and provisional allocations for each local authority are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm.
On 5 May 2015, I announced funding of €312 million for the first tranche of the local authority direct-build social housing programme under the Strategy. This announcement covers over 100 separate housing projects, providing 1,700 units across all 31 local authorities and details are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm.
Further announcements of new unit delivery under the Capital Assistance Scheme and the broader social housing investment programmes will be made in the coming weeks and months.
The implementation of HAP has been progressing at increased pace. There are now over 2,200 households in receipt of HAP across the country and by the end of June HAP will be available in 13 local authority areas including South Dublin with HAP available in respect of homeless households in all Dublin local authorities.
The dedicated Finance Working Group, with appropriate membership from within my own Department, the Department of Finance, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Housing Finance Agency, has commenced Work on Public Private Partnership proposals. Engagement between the NDFA is on-going and a site selection process is at an advanced stage.
Proposed legislative changes to Part V provisions have been set out in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015 which was published on 5 June. In future, the focus of Part V will be on the delivery of completed social housing units, with a requirement for up to 10% social housing in developments of 10 or more units. The Bill also proposes a more concerted focus on the delivery of completed Part V units instead of, for example, the making of cash payments instead, being discontinued.
Research into off-balance sheet and more sustainable forms of funding, including the development of a new Strategic Housing Fund, are also currently being assessed. A protocol was put in place in March 2015 under the auspices of the Finance Work Stream to facilitate individuals and entities seeking to engage with the State to provide investment for the delivery of social housing. A single point of contact for submitting proposals has been established - the Social Housing Proposals Clearing House Group - which operates through my Department, under the oversight of the Finance Work Stream. Interested parties are invited to contact the Clearing House at newfundingmodels@environ.ie.
As part of the process, I held a conference in March 2015 entitled ‘Financing and Delivering Ireland’s Social Housing Strategy’ in Dublin. The conference was attended by more than two hundred domestic and overseas financiers and investors as well as developers, voluntary housing associations, local authorities, Government departments and public bodies.
The powers of local authorities to deal with anti-social behaviour and the repossession of local authority dwellings were significantly enhanced with the commencement of Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 13 April 2015.
It is recognised that the Social Housing Strategy sets out ambitious targets for the delivery and reform of social housing and I am determined to see all the targets and measures fulfilled and implemented.
