Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
407. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of projects the Housing Agency is assisting the local authority and/or approved housing bodies in County Donegal with project feasibility and development of housing under headings (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6466/24]
View answerThe Housing Agency is a non-commercial State agency under the aegis of my Department. The Housing Agency’s Projects, Procurement and Programmes (PPP) Team supports local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in housing delivery through the provision of specialist advice in a range of areas, including design, regulatory compliance, project development and procurement. My Department does not hold details on the number of housing projects for which each local authority or AHB availed of support services or the details of these supports from the Housing Agency. However, further information may be available directly from the Housing Agency. The contact email address for the Housing Agency in this regard is: publicreps@housingagency.ie
One of the key objectives of the Projects, Procurement and Programmes Team in the Housing Agency is to support LA and AHB construction projects. These supports include advising on all stages of construction projects, from feasibility stage through to design, tender, building and handover, with a particular focus on procurement and project management. To support this objective, the Projects and Procurement Team in the Housing Agency has been allocated additional resources, with one of the key strategic objectives being to support AHB construction projects, including Capital Advance Leasing Projects (CALF) and Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) projects.
A CALF application submitted to my Department consists of a completed application form and a financial model showing the capital cost, income and operational costs projected over the P&A term sought, and other relevant supporting documentation. The Housing Agency undertakes an independent assessment of the financial aspects of the application. This assessment involves analysing the capital costs, projected income and projected expenditure against a standard set of assumptions agreed with the Department.
My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR) which includes details of local authority and Approved Housing Body social housing projects. The CSR provides details of funding approved social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 3 2023. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
A version of the CSR can also be downloaded for analysis at local authority level is available at this link: data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q3-2023
The Housing First approach to addressing homelessness places direct access to housing first and foremost for vulnerable individuals. These include those using homeless services consistently or intermittently over long periods of time, and those unable or resistant to accessing homeless services and who may then become habitual rough sleepers. These individuals often have complex high support needs such as mental or physical health problems, addiction issues or dual diagnosis (the presence of mental ill health and a substance addiction).
Housing for All committed to the further expansion of Housing First. A new National Implementation Plan, which provides for a further 1,319 tenancies covering the period 2022-2026, was published in December 2021. The Housing First National Office is based at The Housing Agency and will be responsible for coordinating and driving a national, cross-Government approach to Housing First, as set out in the ‘Housing First National Implementation Plan, 2022-2026’.
The acquisition fund of €35m, which was announced in Budget 2024, will be administered by the Housing Agency, and will support the continued expansion of the programme by supporting local authorities in acquiring one-bed properties. It is estimated the value of the new Housing First contract for the North West Region will be in the region of €2 million, including health resources. The new contract is expected in place in the region by the end of 2024.
