Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
384. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new homes that were delivered under the Serviced Sites Fund and Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18242/22]
View answerThe objective of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF is designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices. It’s important to note that LIHAF projects involve complex, large scale public infrastructure developments which pave the way for associated housing development. This requires extensive design, planning, public consultation and procurement processes in advance of the projects moving to construction. With this in mind, construction of housing has started on a number of LIHAF projects across the country.
Local Authorities have been requested by my Department to submit information regarding LIHAF housing delivery in 2021 and overall. A small number of Local Authorities are still in the process of collating total housing delivery figures for 2021 and will provide this information to my Department once they are finalised.
Based on data provided by Local Authorities to my Department in September 2021, 494 units had been completed up to that point in 2021, of which 186 were cost reduced units. The overall total housing delivery under the LIHAF scheme at September 2021 is 3,348 units, which includes 1,592 cost reduced units.
The Serviced Site Fund (SSF) provided for key enabling infrastructure to help unlock publicly-owned lands specifically for the provision of affordable homes to buy or rent. The SSF has been replaced by the Affordable Housing Fund, however a number of projects approved under the SSF are progressing as planned.
There were three SSF projects under construction in 2021 and the Covid pandemic has had an impact on the projected timelines for delivery of housing due to the closure of the construction sector in early 2021. Accordingly, no units were delivered in 2021, however the delivery of units has already commenced this year, with 50 cost rental units completed in March 2022.
