Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
740. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Mayo County Council has demonstrated the need to deliver an affordable housing scheme in localised areas in which constraints exist around affordability and availability of new houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41275/22]
View answerMayo County Council has advised my Department that they conducted a county-wide affordable housing expression of interest public survey which had a closing date of 31st May 2022 and that the results of the survey were presented at Mayo County Council’s last Housing Strategic Policy Committee meeting.
Mayo County Council has further advised that they have commissioned a specific report regarding the level of need with affordability constraint in Westport and will be engaging further locally on the preparation of an application for an affordable housing scheme for submission to my Department. My Department and the Housing Agency are available to assist Mayo County Council in this regard and will consider any evidence presented by the Council in respect of a demonstrated need for affordable housing and any requirement for funding through the Affordable Housing Fund.
The First Home Scheme to support affordable purchases of new homes in the private market operates nationwide. Targeted at First Time Buyers or those eligible under the Government’s ‘Fresh Start’ principle, the Scheme is being delivered via a strategic partnership between the State and participating mortgage lenders, and was launched earlier this month. 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.
