Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
435. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable homes that have been delivered, per county, in the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26361/23]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes 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.
With 2022 representing the first full year of affordable housing delivery under the schemes introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021, local authorities are now submitting 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. The 2022 process is now complete and statistical data on delivery across all delivery streams has been validated and published on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery .
2022 represented the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue with delivery increasing significantly this year. A strong pipeline of affordable housing delivery is in place and under continuous development by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the Land Development Agency.
Data in respect of 2023 delivery will be published in due course.
In addition, the First Home Scheme, which was launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million. The scheme is available nationwide. Full information on the scheme, including the Q1 2023 Update Report, is available on the First Home Scheme dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie .
Other measures, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home Loan, are also nationally available to eligible first-time purchasers to make home ownership more affordable.
Finally, the new Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is also available nationwide and it provides for grants for refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties. I also announced last year, a new Ready to Build serviced sites scheme under the Fund where local authorities will provide sites at a discount to people who want to build their own home. Information on both of these schemes is available directly from local authorities.
