Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2608. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for the cohort of persons who cannot obtain a mortgage and are unable to save a deposit for a house due to high rental costs but are over the threshold for council housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34013/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2683. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the progress being made to develop an affordable housing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33665/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2732. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when he will reintroduce an affordable housing scheme to assist persons who are over the income limit for social housing but are not in a position to pay market rates (details supplied); and the supports available to assist such a person own their own home. [34370/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2608, 2683 and 2732 together.
As Minister, I have been clear that we need to address housing affordability, recognising the pressures that exist for low- to middle-income households, particularly in Dublin and certain other of our main urban centres. The delivery of targeted affordable housing, for purchase and rent, was a priority topic at the recent Housing Summit which I held with Local Authority Chief Executives earlier this month. It is also featured prominently at the post-Housing Summit meeting with Local Authority Housing Directors of Service.
A three-pronged, targeted approach to affordable housing provision is being pursued. Firstly, in terms of affordable housing for purchase, I have now commenced the relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, to place the new scheme for affordable purchase on a statutory footing. This Scheme will be delivered by local authorities developing sites in key locations. The Scheme will be complementary to other Government Schemes which help first-time buyers to buy a home, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the new Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.
Secondly, I am also determined that cost rental homes become a major part of our rental landscape in the future. There is a gap between social housing and the rental market that needs to be filled, making a sustainable impact on housing affordability, national competitiveness, and the attractiveness of our main urban centres as places to live and work. Cost rental is an important component of progressive housing systems around Europe.
In this regard, yesterday, I announced details of a major cost rental project with the potential to deliver over 300 cost rental homes at Emmet Road, Inchicore, as part of a mixed-tenure development of some 470 homes in total. Dublin City Council will present a proposal to their elected members for approval at their September Council meeting. In parallel, the Housing Agency, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and a number of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have been working on a smaller-scale cost rental pilot, at Enniskerry Road, the tenders for which will issue shortly. On foot of these pilot projects, cost rental will now be rolled out across other suitable sites.
Finally, in order to support local authorities to get their sites ready for affordable housing, I am providing additional funding for enabling infrastructure via the Serviced Sites Fund. Given that housing-related infrastructure will now be able to avail of funding under the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, I am re-directing the €50 million funding originally earmarked for Phase 2 of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund to the Serviced Sites Fund, increasing the scale of the fund from the previously announced €25 million to €75 million. When local authority co-funding is included, an overall minimum investment of €100 million will be provided to those sites that require infrastructural investment in order for them to be brought into use for affordable housing. The call for proposals under the Serviced Site Fund has now issued and I expect to award funding in the Autumn.
From engagements with the local authorities in Dublin, the wider Greater Dublin Area as well as Cork and Galway cities, their initial estimates suggest that they have lands with the potential to deliver some 4,000 new affordable homes. My Department is continuing to work with the key local authorities and the Housing Agency to identify sites which would see the level of ambition increase to at least 10,000 new affordable homes from local authority-owned land, and that engagement and analysis is progressing well.
