John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

912. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the targets he has set for the provision of social and affordable housing for each of the next five years; the number of social and affordable housing units provided or funded by his Department in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1147/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Social Housing Strategy 2020builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measureable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list.

The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme,will address the needs of the 90,000 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand.

Details of targets and timelines for delivery of social housing units are set out intables 1 and 2 in the Strategy, which is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

. The strategy will be delivered in two phases. Phase 1 targets the delivery of 18,000 additional housing units and 32, 4 00 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units, by the end of 2017. In phase 2, spanning the years 2018 to 2020, the strategy targets the delivery of 17,000 additional units and 43,000 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units.

It is estimated that some 6,000 units have been delivered for social housing use in 2014 and 7,400 are targeted for delivery in 2015. 

Action 1 of the Strategy requires the agreement of national targets for delivery of social housing on a local authority by local authority basis this year and in subsequent years. These specific targets will be set by the relevant groups under the Strategy’s governance structures with input from the approved housing body sector.

The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes.