Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 October 2017
274. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the affordable housing scheme will be introduced; if work is being done on a cost rental model in order that mixed tenure housing can be realised in developments on publicly owned land and homes that are not provided under Part V in these developments can be genuinely affordable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45468/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing affordability has been examined by my Department, in consultation with the Housing Agency, local authorities and other stakeholders, as part of the targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland. The examination was carried out under the generally accepted premise that housing is deemed affordable where households, particularly low or moderate income households, are paying no more than a third of their disposable income on meeting their accommodation needs.
The work took account of the measures already taken to make housing more affordable. These include the streamlined planning system for large-scale housing developments; reduced development contributions; the €226 million LIHAF funding, the impact of Rent Pressure Zones and changes to apartment guidelines in 2015.
It also took account of the additional housing affordability measures contained in Budget 2018. As announced, there will be a second phase of the LIHAF infrastructure fund with an Exchequer contribution of €50 million to unlock additional lands for housing. I also secured funding to put in place a new serviced sites fund of €25 million specifically to deliver affordable housing on local authority sites. The new Home Building Finance Ireland fund is also of importance in terms of addressing the costs of delivering housing as it will provide finance at commercially competitive rates to developers.
Cognisant of the crucial role land plays in the delivery of affordable housing, my Department is taking a very active role in State land management. At this point over 2,000 hectares of public land has been mapped and all local authorities and the Housing Agency have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for residential lands in their ownership. My Department facilitated a workshop for local authorities in July 2017 to commence this process. Once all the plans have been finalised and reviewed, they will be published.
Already, a number of major publicly owned sites have been brought forward for mixed-tenure development. For example, South Dublin County Council is advancing procurement to deliver approximately 900 social and affordable homes at Kilcarbery, Clondalkin on a 70:30 private and social housing proportional basis. In addition, Dublin City Council is advancing procurement to redevelop O'Devaney Gardens off Infirmary Road. That site can accommodate 600 homes and is being advanced on the basis of 30% social, 20% affordable purchase and 50% private. In relation to cost rental initiatives, the Housing Agency and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are jointly progressing a pilot scheme for cost rental housing on a site at the Enniskerry Road, encompassing 50 cost rental and 100 social rental homes.
As part of the examination of housing affordability and the optimal use of publicly owned lands for housing, and recognising that delivering cost rental is a key part of the solution to the affordability challenge, work is underway to identify potential local authority sites for cost rental projects in areas of high housing demand and high accommodation costs.
The examination of housing affordability is now at an advanced stage and I expect to be in a position to outline the outcome, including any additional measures, in the coming weeks.
