Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2016
259. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of social houses built, by county, in each of the years 2014 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; his plans for further building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15728/16]
View answerDetails on social housing units constructed in respect of all local authorities and approved housing bodies is published on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Data in respect of quarter 1 of 2016 is currently being collated and will be published shortly; however, preliminary outputs show that between local authorities and approved housing bodies, over 200 units have been completed through either construction or acquisition of units under my Department’s capital-funded programmes.
Arising from the Social Housing Strategy 2020, targets and provisional funding allocations have been notified to each local authority and are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/minsters-kelly-coffey-announce-eu15-billion-social-housing-targets-local.
Following the notification of these targets, approvals for a substantial number of new social housing projects were announced in May 2015, July 2015 and January 2016. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing units. These are mainly new builds, but also include some turnkey developments. Details of these project approvals are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/ministers-kelly-coffey-announce-further-1000-social-housing-units.
In addition, my Department supported local authorities in delivering over 1,000 social housing units in 2015 through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses and apartments and this activity is continuing into 2016.
Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), my Department, together with local authorities, can support approved housing bodies to construct, purchase or lease housing units and make them available for social housing. The housing units are secured under long-term leases/availability arrangements between local authorities, approved housing bodies and private property owners. The number of units constructed by approved housing bodies using a mix of Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and private finance made available for social housing by approved housing bodies under the SHCEP annually since 2014 is set out in the following table -
|
2014 |
8 |
|
2015 |
31 |
|
2016 |
36 (to end Q1) |
In addition, at the end of May 2016, funding approval was in place to support 627 units to be constructed by approved housing bodies. CALF funding is also provided under the SHCEP to approved housing bodies to facilitate the delivery of units for social housing use by means of acquisition. 880 units were purchased by approved housing bodies in 2015 alone. At the end of May 2016, funding approval was in place to support an additional 1,263 units to be purchased by approved housing bodies.
