Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
364. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of affordable homes that have been built in counties Cavan and Monaghan in each of the past five years; the total number planned for 2023; the total funding allocated each year to the local authority to supply affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39114/22]
View answerFollowing the publication of Housing for All, I asked local authorities to prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans. In preparing these plans local authorities were asked to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool and plan their provision accordingly. Local authorities with an identified affordable housing need were asked to prepare Affordable Delivery Action Plans and were set five-year Affordable Delivery Targets.
An identified high level of affordable housing need arises where the HNDA indicates that, of the total projected need for housing in the county, over 5% of new households will not qualify for social housing but will also be constrained in accessing housing by their ability to afford to buy or rent. The level of affordably constrained need across both Cavan and Monaghan is assessed at below 5%, although some localised affordability issues may arise in certain towns within the county.
It is possible for local authorities, including Monaghan County Council and Cavan County Council, to undertake HNDA analysis at sub county level to determine whether a need for affordable housing schemes is evident in specific towns/areas. The Affordable Housing Fund subsidy is available to support affordable housing purchase in schemes located in large or key towns per National Planning Framework objectives and to ensure that provision is aligned with where need is concentrated. My Department and the Housing Agency are available to assist in this regard.
The First Home Scheme to support affordable purchases of new homes in the private market will operate nationwide. Targeted at First Time Buyers or those eligible under the Government’s ‘Fresh Start’ principle, the Scheme will be delivered via a strategic partnership between the State and participating mortgage lenders, and was launched last week. It will improve access to newly-built homes by using a shared equity model to bridge the gap between mortgage finance and the cost of new homes. The homes must be priced within regional price ceilings which will reflect the median prices paid by First Time Buyers for new homes in each area, so this is an intervention to support homeownership in the lower region of the market.
