Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of unsold affordable houses which have been leased to approved housing bodies under the social housing leasing initiative to date; the average monthly cost of these leases and the full year costs of these units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30723/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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To the end of quarter 2 2010, 1,618 unsold affordable units have been approved for inclusion in the Social Housing Leasing Initiative. Of these, 614 of the units have lease agreements signed and in place with approved housing bodies.

While the cost of the lease agreement is a matter for the relevant local authority, in general, in most lease agreements the approved housing body pay the local authority a nominal fee for the property and the body collect and retain the differential rent from the tenant to support the cost of managing and maintaining the dwelling. My Department recoups to the local authority the interest payments liable in respect of the loans taken by the authority to fund the affordable properties in the first instance. The average monthly cost for the units approved to date is €511 per unit, which equates to a yearly cost per unit of €6,132.