I do not propose to revise the targets for social housing delivery announced last April and issued at that time to all local authorities to cover the period out to end-2017. Those targets are in line with the Social Housing Strategy and have been carefully calibrated to make a substantial impact on the housing waiting lists of all local authority areas across the country. The delivery of social housing through different approaches requires different lead-in times. In particular, construction projects need time for planning, approval by elected members, tendering and construction. This is why I have targeted a range of approaches to delivery which include local authorities and approved housing bodies acquiring properties where good value for money is achievable, the remediation of vacant social houses, securing long term leased units using the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), additional provision under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), as well as the roll-out of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
A strong pipeline of new social housing construction projects is now in place following from the announcement in May of the first major direct build social housing programme under the Social Housing Strategy, involving some 100 separate housing projects, and a further substantial announcement in July of approvals for local authorities and approved housing bodies. The outcome has been half a billion euro allocated for 2,900 social housing new builds and acquisitions up to the end 2017. Further announcements in this regard are planned for the New Year.
While the availability of suitable properties in the private market is currently challenging, the RAS and SHCEP combined have met the social housing needs of an additional 2,547 households to date in 2015. Over the lifetime of the Strategy, the two schemes are expected to provide accommodation for 29,400 households, and I remain confident that this can be achieved. In addition the roll out of the HAP scheme will continue, with a further 10,000 households to be accommodated under the scheme in 2016 alone.
I am committed to facilitating local authorities to return the maximum possible number of vacant social housing units to productive use in 2015. In addition to the original funding provided for this purpose in 2015, and conscious of the impact of the pressures in the private rental market on delivery under the RAS and SHCEP schemes, I have increased the budget allocation in order to deliver an estimated 2,500 vacant units back into productive use this year.
Overall, I am satisfied that between new builds, acquisitions and the return of vacant units, we are on track to deliver the capital target of almost 7,500 units by 2017.
