Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he is taking to support voluntary housing bodies to develop their housing stock to meet rising demand and the increased difficulties in sourcing finance. [5555/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Approved housing bodies (AHBs) are identified in the Government’s Housing Policy Statement as key partners in the delivery of social housing. However, the move from capital funded programmes of construction and acquisition by AHBs to more revenue funded options presents challenges for them. As such, I am developing an enabling regulatory framework for the sector that will provide support and assurance both to the sector itself, and to its external partners, as it takes on the expanded role envisaged for it in the policy statement and to underline its status as a viable and attractive investment opportunity for financial institutions.

This framework is being developed in consultation with the sector and I am currently considering the range of submissions received on foot of publishing a draft voluntary code in August 2012. It is my expectation that this code, which I hope to launch later in 2013, will serve as a learning opportunity for the sector and for my Department as we develop a longer-term statutory framework to best support the enhanced role of AHBs.

Specifically under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), funding of up to 100% of the approved cost is available for the provision of accommodation to meet the needs of persons with specific categories of housing need including older people, people with an intellectual, physical or mental health disability, the homeless, returning emigrants and victims of domestic violence. My Department’s involvement with these voluntary and co-operative housing schemes relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of the schemes, and the certification that projects comply with the terms and conditions of the funding schemes, are the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

In 2012 I provided funding of € 66 million for the provision of accommodation under the voluntary housing capital funding schemes. Work is currently underway in my Department on preparing the capital allocations under the housing programme for 2013, including al locations to local authorities in respect of the CAS. I intend to announce details of these allocations as soon as possible.