Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
375. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the criteria that will be used to assess whether an organisation can be designated a cost rental provider under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and related secondary legislation. [46680/21]
View answerThe Affordable Housing Act 2021 was enacted by the President on 21 July 2021. On 18 August, I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement) (Parts 1 and 3) Order 2021, which commenced Parts 1 and 3 of the Act from 19 August, and brought into operation the Cost Rental elements of the Act.
On 19 August 2021, I made the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Cost Rental Designation) Regulations 2021. These Regulations govern the process by which the owners of dwellings may obtain the designation of their properties as Cost Rental dwellings, provided they commit at the outset to the property remaining in the Cost Rental sector for a certain minimum period.
Applications for designation of a property as Cost Rental will be accepted from any applicant who is the legal owner of the property, provided they have the appropriate consents from any incumbrancers, such as lenders, to apply for this designation and to have the resulting legal burden placed on the property.
It is anticipated that in the initial years of the development of this new sector, Cost Rental homes will be primarily provided directly by Local Authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), initially funded by State lending from the Housing Agency and Housing Finance Agency.
