Addressing vacancy and maximising the use of existing housing stock is a primary concern of this Government, as demonstrated by one of the four pathways dedicated solely to this priority area in the new Housing for All strategy. This pathway includes a number of actions to tackle vacancy and dereliction, such as:-
- A new local authority-led programme to help Local Authorities buy or compulsory purchase 2,500 vacant homes in their areas which can then be sold on the open market will ensure homes don’t lie vacant.
- Reform of the Fair Deal Scheme to remove disincentives to selling or renting unused homes.
- The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund will be delivered by local authorities for the provision of serviced sites for housing, to attract people to build their own homes and to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, enabling people to live in small towns and villages, in a sustainable way.
- A new Town Centre First policy, which will provide a framework to enable the refurbishment and reimaging of vacant and derelict areas of towns.
These measures are in addition to the vacant property tax consideration being pursued by the Department of Finance.
Housing for All also commits to ensuring that vacant homes officers, who will play a key role in implementing these programmes, are full-time officers. This will ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction with a view to increasing the opportunities for residential development. This will include options for both social housing and affordable housing in many towns across the country.