Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
674. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the affordable homes developed by the Land Development Agency either on delayed sites contracted the private sector or on its own sites, will be sold with the option to participate in the local authority affordable purchase scheme or the first homes scheme; and if so, the proportion of those offered for sale that will be under these options. [44207/22]
View answerThe Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
The LDA has an immediate focus on managing the State's own lands to develop new homes, and regenerate under-utilised sites. In the longer-term, it will assemble strategic land-banks from a mix of public and private lands, making these available for housing in a controlled manner, which brings essential long-term stability to the Irish housing market.
All affordable purchase homes made available under the Housing for All targeted delivery streams will be sold under the provisions of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and its associated regulations. The LDA has advised my department that for those Project Tosaigh contracted schemes where homes will be sold rather than cost rented, it is their intention to partner with Local Authorities in the sale of homes under the local authority affordable purchase scheme. The local authority affordable purchase scheme is an equity based model.
For delivery of housing from state lands, the LDA’s intention is that the homes delivered will be primarily owned and managed by the LDA for the provision of affordable rental accommodation. Consideration of the modalities of affordable sale of any units within the terms of the Affordable Housing Act is still underway.
