Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 April 2023
70. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify if Louth County Council has been given instruction from his Department that long-term leases cannot be considered, with consideration to the extreme pressures on housing at this moment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18393/23]
View answerUnder Housing for All the Government plans to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 homes per year over the next decade. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes.
Housing for All sets out that there will a managed phasing out of new long term leasing projects over the lifetime of the plan, in favour of delivery models which ensure long-term ownership of social housing homes. This will be achieved by a renewed emphasis on new-build social homes on an unprecedented scale financed by an historic capital commitment. It is envisaged that 3,500 units will be delivered through long term leasing from 2022 to 2025, with targets reducing over the lifetime of the plan; tapering down from a target of 1,300 units in 2022 to 200 units in 2025.
As such, Housing for All long term leasing targets were assigned to 13 Local Authorities to deliver 3,500 social homes nationally through long term leasing from 2022 to 2025. Most of these targets are now almost fully subscribed with agreed proposals.
Louth County Council were assigned a target of 34 units under Housing for All, which I communicated by letter to them on the 21 September 2021. As at the end of Q3 2022 Louth County Council had delivered 11 units of their long term leasing target and the balance of Louth County Council's long term leasing target was fully subscribed but yet to be delivered.
As a necessary measure to accelerate the provision of social homes for homeless households, The Housing Agency in conjunction with my Department has introduced an emergency Targeted Leasing Initiative (TLI), with the aim of delivering approximately 1,000 new homes over 2023 and 2024 in the areas of greatest need. TLI is separate and additional to the current long term leasing scheme.
Housing for All commits to ending long term leasing by the end of 2025. This policy remains unchanged, however leasing continues to be an important mechanism for expedited delivery to meet social housing needs as build supply ramps up to meet demand.
