Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 October 2018
271. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when an affordable housing scheme will be announced; if a scheme will be announced for Galway city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40292/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA three-pronged, targeted approach to affordable housing is being pursued. Firstly, in terms of affordable housing for purchase, relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 have been commenced, which place the new scheme for affordable purchase on a statutory footing. This Scheme, aimed at households, including any qualifying military personnel, earning low to moderate annual gross incomes of maximum €50,000 for a single applicant and maximum €75,000 for joint applicants, will be delivered by local authorities developing their 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 scheme.
Secondly, I am determined that cost rental homes become a major part of our rental landscape in the future, making a sustainable impact on housing affordability, national competitiveness, and the attractiveness of our main urban centres as places to live as well as work. Cost rental is an important component of progressive housing systems around Europe. Two cost rental projects have previously been announced for Emmet Road, Inchicore, and at Enniskerry Road, Dundrum. Learning from these pilot projects, I expect cost rental projects to 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. This overall minimum investment of €100 million will provide funding for those sites that require infrastructural investment in order for them to be brought into use for affordable housing. The fund is initially open to the areas worst affected by housing undersupply and affordability. On 29 June, I invited applications under the SSF from 11 local authorities, including Galway City. The call closed on 31 August and 15 proposals were submitted by 9 local authorities, including Galway City. The submissions are currently being assessed in my Department and I expect to be in a position to make the initial awards of funding later this month.
Finally, the Government has now launched the Land Development Agency which is aiming to build some 150,000 new homes over the next 20 years. The new Agency has an immediate focus on managing the State’s own lands to develop new homes, with at least 40% of these homes being for social and affordable housing purposes.
