Approved Housing Bodies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023

Monday, 11 September 2023

Questions (955)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

955. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that Government funded approved housing bodies are now competing with potential owner occupiers to buy houses, as they are bulk purchasing homes before they even hit the market; if a strategy is in place to ensure a good mix in future housing developments, to allow owner occupiers purchase houses in new estates and to avoid the mistakes of the past, whereby there was often an over concentration of social housing in certain areas of Limerick and across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39127/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.

A key action of Housing for All required local authorities to develop Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details, including assessed housing need and locations, of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. Limerick City and County Council’s Plan has been published on their own website and is available at this link www.limerick.ie/council/services/housing/housing-delivery/housing-delivery-action-plan

In areas where a local authority does not have the land or the projects to provide delivery in the short-term, local authorities have entered into development arrangements with developers who have sites available which have not been activated and has resulted in completed homes which may not otherwise have been progressed.

This has also been a feature of delivery by Approved Housing Bodies, which has supported the delivery of housing projects for social housing. These schemes require the support of the local authority and it is a matter for each local authority to evaluate the scheme prior to approval. Local authorities assess this in line with guidance provided by my Department through the publication 'Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities', which is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/24d9e-quality-housing-for-sustainable-communities-design-guidelines/. My Department then assesses the application, and issues a decision on whether or not to provide capital funding and/or funding of a long-term funding agreement.