Ms Sonya Kavanagh:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for the invitation to meet them. As the Cathaoirleach indicated, I am joined by my colleague Ms Annette Aspell, director of services for housing and corporate services.

The programme of delivery for social housing under Rebuilding Ireland concluded at the end of 2021. Kildare County Council received a target for social housing delivery of 2,426 units. Over the four years of the programme, we delivered 2,693 social housing units across the county, thereby exceeding our target by 267 units. During the same period, 2,520 new housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancies commenced in the county and there are currently 2,069 active HAP tenancies.

We published our housing delivery action plan, which outlines the social and affordable housing delivery under Housing for All in August. We have been set a target to deliver 2,416 social housing units across the five years of the delivery programme. In addition, targets have been set for delivery of affordable housing units. Applications are currently being prepared for submission to the affordable housing fund in support of our 2022 and 2023 targets. Work has also commenced on developing a pipeline of affordable units for the remainder of the programme. We currently have projects on hand on our own land that will deliver in excess of 475 units, with a further potential 235 units in pipeline projects. That is in addition to 63 units being delivered by approved housing bodies on council-owned lands.

A further 85 units are being progressed through the capital assistance scheme. Some 215 units are being progressed under the public private partnership programme. This is in addition to other mechanisms of delivery such as Part V, capital advance leasing facility, CALF, acquisition, etc.

There has been a strong pipeline of delivery of Part V with 512 units delivered under the previous housing programme. We expect the delivery of 515 units through the current programme. Table 4 in my submission refers to Kildare County Council’s success delivering social housing through the PPP programme.

The need for age-friendly-specific accommodation has been acknowledged in our social housing delivery programme, with units to be delivered by the council directly and in partnership with AHBs. Rightsizing will be considered by our housing strategic policy committee in 2023.

On acquisitions, we successfully acquired properties for social housing in recent years. The majority of the properties required significant refurbishment. The ability to acquire a property is an important element of our housing programme and has been used as an aid to prevent homelessness.

The preliminary census 2022 data indicates that County Kildare has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country at 5.3%. Our vacant homes officer actively monitors reports of vacant homes in the county, carrying out site visits as necessary. As part of this work, derelict properties are also being considered in order to identify any properties that may be suitable for social housing. Suffice to say that all of the schemes available to us are used to progress vacant properties into active use.

Three CPOs have been completed through the buy and renew scheme to date and we are commencing the process for a further six properties this month, with an additional 13 units under consideration for early 2023. Interest is beginning to increase in terms of the repair and lease scheme. Initial feedback since the introduction of the Croí Cónaithe scheme in July is positive, with 11 applications received to date.

I can also confirm that I am in the process of establishing a town regeneration team, with dedicated technical support, to be located in the housing department. This new team will have responsibility for the implementation of the town centre first policy.

Figures for cost rental are included in table 5 of my submission. Both Clúid and Tuath have successfully delivered cost-rental units in County Kildare. The Land Development Agency has recently received approval from An Bord Pleanála for the construction of 219 units at Devoy Park, Naas. No local authority cost-rental delivery has been identified in our action plan. However, this will be considered further once the staffing resources are in place.

In conclusion, there are challenges and risks to our housing delivery programme as set out in our action plan. Kildare County Council successfully delivered on targets for social housing under the Rebuilding Ireland programme and we will drive forward the Housing for All programme by continuing to meet our targets for social housing and commencing a programme of delivery of affordable housing.

We are happy to take any questions on this statement or any issues associated with the delivery of social and-or affordable housing.