Details on the number of households qualified and on waiting lists for social housing support in each local authority area, are set out in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments. The most recent summary, which was carried out in 2017, details the number of households on all local authority waiting lists, as at 28 June 2017 and can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link.
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/sha_summary_2017.pdf.
The 2017 summary, which was published recently, shows that 85,799 households were assessed as being qualified for and in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 5,801 households or 6.3% compared to the 2016 summary.
In terms of meeting the need of households on waiting lists across the country, Rebuilding Ireland set ambitious targets for social housing delivery and there is an accelerated delivery programme in place for 2018 and the years beyond. Last year, I secured an additional €500 million during Budget 2018 negotiations, to increase the social housing delivery ambition from 47,000 to 50,000 social housing homes by end 2021. Combined with the target to deliver just under 88,000 tenancies under the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Schemes, this means that we will meet the needs of just under 138,000 individuals and families over the lifetime of the Rebuilding Ireland plan.
I recently published details of the 2017 provisional social housing outputs in 2017. During last year, just under 26,000 households had their social housing need met, well ahead of the target of just over 21,000. Details are available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/2017-social-housing-output-figures-published/.
It should be noted that to date under Rebuilding Ireland, just under 45,000 households have had their social housing need met. Indeed, I recently published details of the social housing delivery ambition to 2021 against the delivery achieved at end 2017; this information is available at the following weblink:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-progress-vs-targets-2016-2021/.
In relation to social housing construction activity, my Department publishes comprehensive status reports on a quarterly basis, in relation to social housing construction schemes for all local authority areas, showing details, such as their locations and a range of information relating to their advancement. The most recent of these reports covers the period up to the end of quarter 3 of 2017. It includes information on the delivery of over 12,000 new social housing homes, which were approved and progressing through planning, design, and construction, or have been completed in 2016 and to the end of quarter 3 of 2017. The report also showed that there were over 3,600 new homes on site and under construction and a further 2,000 new homes with approval to appoint contractors and move onto the construction phase. The report can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/quarter-3-social-housing-construction-status-report/.
In relation to the Deputy's query regarding delivery in 2018, the table below sets out the main programmes of social housing delivery for 2018.
|
Delivery Method
|
2018 Targets
|
|
Build
|
4,969
|
|
Acquisitions
|
900
|
|
Leasing
|
2,000
|
|
RAS
|
600
|
|
HAP
|
17,000
|
|
Total
|
25,469
|
It should be noted that at the second Housing Summit, held on January 22nd, I asked each Local Authority Chief Executive to furnish a report by mid-February, confirming and setting out how their Local Authority will deliver on its social housing targets over the coming years. It is my intention that the targets will be published as soon as possible thereafter, and progress made by each local authority in terms of delivery against these targets will then be published on an ongoing basis, providing greater accountability and driving delivery.
