Eoin Ó Broin
Question:635. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the serviced sites fund pipeline for 2021 and 2022. [39527/21]
View answerTuesday, 27 July 2021
Questions (635)
Written answers
To date, my Department has issued two broad-based Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities. Funding of almost €200 million has been approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties, which will assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent.
Details of 35 SSF projects which received approval in principle under the two SSF calls to date are available on the Department's website as follows.
Call 1 www.gov.ie/en/press-release/dbc55-minister-murphy-gives-the-go-ahead-for-ten-local-authority-sites-for-affordable-housing-under-the-serviced-sites-fund/
Call 2 www.gov.ie/en/press-release/eaf39-minister-murphy-approves-84m-in-funding-for-25-local-authority-sites-to-support-the-delivery-of-approximately-1770-affordable-homes-nationally-under-the-serviced-sites-fund-ssf/.
In addition to these projects, approval in principle has also been given to five further applications for SSF funding, namely, Dublin City Council’s projects in Emmet Road and Oscar Traynor Road, Fingal County Council’s projects in Ballymastone, Donabate, and Hayestown, Rush and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s project in Shanganagh.
The Covid pandemic has had an impact on the projected timelines for local authorities, due to the closure of the construction sector earlier this year. I wish to advise the Deputy that the first SSF projects that will be delivered in 2021 will be the pilot Cost Rental project at Enniskerry Road and the first phase of the Boherboy Road in Cork City. Current projections from local authorities suggest that an estimated 400 affordable homes under SSF will be delivered in 2022.
Contained within the Programme for Government was a commitment to extend the Serviced Sites Fund. In line with this commitment, a review of SSF progress and projects to date was undertaken and, having regard to feedback from local authorities, a number of significant improvements to the scheme have now been agreed and communicated to local authorities. These include: broadening and renaming it the Affordable Housing Fund to reflect it's purpose and function in funding the delivery of affordable housing; expanding the scope of costs covered; taking applications as they are developed on a rolling basis; allowing a direct subvention of the all-in development cost, which may include land purchase costs; and, allowing funding to exceed the current maximum of €50,000 per affordable dwelling on a stepped scale to €100,000 per affordable unit, where the project requires it.
The improved and expanded funding options will greatly support delivery of affordable housing by local authorities.
Further details on affordable housing delivery will be contained in the new Housing for All Strategy.