Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
361. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will indicate for each local authority, the number of expressions of interest to his Department; the number of applications; the number of approvals under the Affordable Housing Fund made to date; and the average payment per development undertaken. [25589/23]
View answerFunding of over €249m has been approved to date under the Affordable Housing Fund to assist in the delivery of 3,164 affordable homes from 2022 to 2027 under 52 schemes across 15 Local Authorities. A further 14 applications for assistance under the Fund are currently under consideration.
With 2022 representing the first full year of delivery under the affordable housing schemes introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021, local authorities have begun to submit data returns and information on delivery of affordable homes in their area to my Department, in the same manner as is done for social housing.
Delivery of affordable units by local authorities with assistance under the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) during 2022 is set out in the statistical data based on local authority returns as published last month on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery
A total of 373 homes were delivered by local authorities with AHF assistance during 2022 as affordable homes for purchase or for cost rental by eligible applicants in 8 Local Authority areas.
Cost information on the delivery of affordable homes through the various construction streams, is collated at development/project level rather than at individual housing unit level.
The cost of delivering new homes is dependent on a range of variables, such as the location, the scale of the development and the size and type of the homes involved. In addition, the level of subvention provided under the AHF towards the capital cost of an affordable housing scheme varies having regard to factors such as density of affordable units per hectare achieved and the location of the development.
Subventions ranging from €50,000 to €150,000 are provided for under the AHF, with the Exchequer cost representing 95% of the subvention and the remaining 5% coming from a Local Authority contribution. Housing delivery being supported by funding approved originally under the earlier Serviced Sites Fund is also progressing with funding comprised of 89% Exchequer contribution matched by an 11% Local Authority contribution.
The average exchequer cost commitment per unit was €64,919 in 2022.
