Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2017
814. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if the 30% capital advance leasing facility, CALF, payment to approved housing bodies for social housing projects funded with Housing Finance Agency, HFA, or private finance comes from his Department's current or capital budget. [32489/17]
View answerThe Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) is capital support provided to approved housing bodies (AHBs), by local authorities, to assist with the financing of the construction or acquisition of units that will be provided for social housing use. CALF can support up to 30% of the eligible capital cost of the project, where the units will be provided under long-term lease arrangements (known as Payment and Availability Agreements) to local authorities for social housing use. The balance of the funding required is usually secured by the AHB from other borrowings, typically from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA). Projects are assessed and approved for CALF funding by my Department following an independent financial assessment undertaken by the Housing Agency. The CALF funding provided to AHBs by local authorities is fully recouped from my Department by local authorities.
CALF is funded from my Department's capital budget. In 2017, €43m has been made available for this purpose. The ongoing cost of the Payment and Availability Agreements between local authorities and AHBs is paid from my Department's Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). In 2017, €83.9m has been made available to the Programme to meet the continuing cost of these contractual arrangements and the cost of new units brought forward for funding during the year.
