Alan Dillon
Ceist:60. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a progress update on the delivery of an affordable housing scheme in County Mayo. [33089/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 23 June 2022
Ceisteanna (60)
Freagraí scríofa
Following the publication of Housing for All, I asked local authorities to prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans. In preparing these plans local authorities were asked to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool and plan their provision accordingly. Local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need were asked to prepare Affordable Delivery Action Plans and were set five-year Affordable Delivery Targets.
An identified high level of affordable housing need arises where the HNDA indicates that, of the total projected need for housing in the county, over 5% of new households will not qualify for social housing but will also be constrained in accessing housing by their ability to afford to buy or rent. The level of affordably constrained need across the county of Mayo is assessed at below 5%, although some localised affordability issues may arise in certain towns within the county.
It will be a matter for the local authority to consider whether a particular requirement for affordable housing arises and whether it will bring forward specific affordable schemes to meet this need. It is possible for local authorities, including Mayo County Council, to undertake HNDA analysis at sub county level to determine whether a need for Government funded affordable housing schemes is evident in specific towns/areas. Affordable Housing Fund subsidy is only available to support affordable housing purchase in schemes located in large or key towns to uphold National Planning Framework objectives and to ensure that provision is aligned with where need is concentrated. This Department and the Housing Agency are available to assist in this regard.
Where particular challenges arise for facilitating owner-occupation in towns, and where viable sites available for building of new homes are in short supply, there is significant potential for local authorities to support homeownership in these areas by making available serviced sites at a reduced cost or providing support towards the refurbishment of vacant properties where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high. A pathfinder programme will be initiated as part of a Croí Cónaithe (Towns) fund, to facilitate the making available of some 2,000 sites for homes by 2025.
The First Home Scheme will be delivered via a strategic partnership between the State and participating mortgage lenders and I can confirm that all parties are working with a view to deploying the scheme in the coming weeks. It will improve access to newly-built homes, below the median price point, by using a shared equity model to bridge the gap between mortgage finance and the cost of new homes. This measure, targeted at first time or fresh start buyers, will allow purchasers to exit the rental market, help to build developer confidence in realisable consumer demand, and contribute to the recovery of our construction sector following the Covid-19 emergency. This Scheme will be available nationwide.
Engagement is ongoing with Mayo County Council and my Department regarding the potential for development of an affordable housing scheme in Mayo. My Department, together with the Housing Agency, has offered assistance to any local authority where they are considering developing a scheme.