Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 November 2018
251. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a second tranche of LIHAF funding is to be announced; if not, if funding for projects in this area will be considered under the urban regeneration and development fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48484/18]
View answerThe Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was designed to activate housing supply by putting in place the enabling public infrastructure necessary to ensure that large scale development could take place on key sites in urban areas of high housing demand. Final approval was given for 30 projects under LIHAF in 2017 and these projects will stimulate development of approximately 20,000 housing units across 14 local authorities.
Since the original call under LIHAF in 2016, significantly increased funding has been made available for enabling infrastructure through three new funds: the new €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and the €310 million Serviced Sites Fund, operated through my Department, and the €1 billion Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) operated by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The URDF is designed to leverage a greater proportion of residential and commercial development, supported by infrastructure, services and amenities, within the existing built-up areas of our larger urban settlements. I initiated the first call for proposals under the URDF in July 2018, and the deadline for submission of applications was 28 September. A second call for proposals under the URDF will issue in 2019 for funding in 2020.
While a second call for proposals under LIHAF was originally planned, given the number of funding streams now available for infrastructure and in order to avoid duplication, I amalgamated the funding initially intended for the second call into the new Serviced Site Fund (SSF) referred to above, under which relevant Local Authorities can apply for funding for key facilitating infrastructure on public lands, to support delivery of affordable homes to purchase or rent. Decisions on applications received under a first call for proposals under the SSF will be finalised shortly and a further call for proposals will issue thereafter.
