Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 May 2023
149. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider pre-purchasing affordable housing units similar to social housing, and a mechanism to speed up their delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23648/23]
View answerHousing for All, the Government’s housing plan, puts affordability at the heart of the housing system and commits to the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. The plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ef5ec-housing-for-all-a-new-housing-plan-for-ireland/#view-the-plan.
In terms of arrangements for the pre-purchase of affordable housing units, the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) subsidy already enables local authorities to arrange for the advance purchase of housing units from private developers with a view to making these available as affordable homes for purchase or rent by eligible applicants with a demonstrable need for affordable housing. The level of subsidy available to local authorities ranges from €50,000 to €150,000 per affordable unit depending on the density of affordable units per hectare on the development and its location. In return for the subsidy, the local authority must make the homes available at a purchase price at least 15% below the market value on a shared equity basis, or at a rent targeted at 25% below the market rent.
The LDA is also deploying advance purchase arrangements to deliver affordable homes under the Project Tosaigh initiative to unlock land with full planning permission that is not being developed by private sector owners. Detailed information on its affordable homes programme can be found on the LDA’s website at: lda.ie/affordable-homes .
A strong pipeline of affordable housing delivery is in place and is under continuous development by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies and by the Land Development Agency.
