Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
595. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on supporting an unprecedented 4,000 affordable purchase homes on average every year under Housing for All. [43307/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All will see 54,000 affordable home interventions which includes 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost rental homes to be delivered between now and 2030. Affordable purchase homes will be delivered by local authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through ‘First Home’ a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
The First Home Scheme was launched on 7 July last, and primarily supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million. Since the scheme was launched, almost 500 full applications have been submitted, with 288 already receiving Certificates of Eligibility. Full details of the scheme can be found at www.firsthomescheme.ie/
The Local Authority Affordable Purchase scheme has also commenced and in April I signed two sets of Regulations which underpin the Scheme and provide the basis for making available affordable purchase homes and the administration of sales. These Regulations are available online at:
www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/183/made/en/print
www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/184/made/en/print
The Department supports local authorities in their development of affordable homes for purchase through the Affordable Housing Fund. The Fund provides exchequer funding to allow the delivery of housing at affordable prices or rents on local authority lands, or via advance purchase arrangements with developers for new housing on developer-owned land. To date, the Department has received 16 applications from local authorities for local authority built projects and the initial affordable purchase homes are already being delivered, with Cork City Council advising that the first 37 affordable purchase homes of the Boherboy Road project have been advertised and are expected to be occupied by year’s end.
A further 39 Local Authority-delivered affordable purchase homes have been made available by Fingal County Council this year in Dun Emer in Lusk, with indicated costs from €166,000 for a 2-bed apartment and from €206,000 for a 3-bed duplex and from €258,000 for a 3-bed semi-detached home.
In addition projects on local authority-owned land, a further 12 advance purchase applications for AHF support have been submitted in by local authorities including including in Cork. Funding has already been approved for 6 advance purchase arrangements by local authorities to deliver almost 200 housing units in 2022, with South Dublin County Council advising my Department that successful applicants have been notified in relation to 16 Affordable Purchase homes it has made available in Kilcarbery Grange in Clondalkin. The purchase prices for these homes will be from €237,000, a reduction on market values of c. 20%.
Separately, the LDA it is pursuing a twin-track approach of accelerating near term construction of affordable homes on both State and private land, while also working over the longer term to assemble large State-owned land banks capable of delivering thousands of new homes. The LDA is actively developing 12 sites, capable of delivering about 6,000 homes and has recently submitted planning applications for 2,358 social and affordable homes. Under Housing for All, 20 further sites (additional to the initial tranche of State lands identified) were designated for transfer to the LDA. Details of the work that the LDA is progressing on public lands that will deliver affordable purchase and cost rental can be found at lda.ie/projects-schemes/
In addition, the LDA’s Project Tosaigh is a market engagement initiative to unlock land with full planning permission that is not being developed by private sector owners due to financing and other constraints, and use it to accelerate the supply of affordable housing. The target under Project Tosaigh is the delivery of 5,000 new homes by 2026 for Cost Rental or affordable sale to eligible households.Details of all homes that will be made available under Project Tosaigh will be confirmed when commercial agreements are finalised. Full details of the initiative can be found at the following link;
lda.ie/home-building-partnership/
Additional affordable housing delivery will also be facilitated under the provisions of the expanded 20% Part V requirement as and when they arise, and subject to the planning process.
Other measures, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home Loan (formerly the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan), are also available to eligible purchasers nationally to make home ownership more affordable.
