Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

351. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will declare a national housing emergency before he leaves office to address the totally unacceptable living conditions of the tens of thousands of citizens and families on homeless and housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3835/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A shortage of supply is at the heart of the current challenges in the housing sector and the Government has put in place a comprehensive set of responses to increase the supply of all forms of housing while also taking action to stabilise the rental market while that supply increases. The Social Housing Strategy 2020sets out clear, measurable 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 with flexibility to meet future demand. In total, 110,000 new social housing units are targeted for delivery with 35,000 new units to be delivered and 75,000 households to be supported mainly through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme.

The Strategy has been supported by two successive budgets with €1.7 billion allocated to housing. Given the pressing need to recommence a house building programme almost €3 billion in capital funding will be provided in support of the Social Housing Strategy through the Government’s Capital Plan - Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021.

Evidence that the Strategy is delivering can be found in the report, Social Housing Output in 2015,which I published on 26 January 2016 and which is available on my Department’s website at .

As a result of our focused approach in 2015, 13,000 social housing units were provided, representing an 86% increase on the 7,000 units delivered in 2014. I am committed to maintaining the momentum achieved in 2015 and to that end an ambitious target of a further 17,000 units has been set for delivery in 2016.

The Government’s Construction 2020 Strategyis aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting residential and non-residential demand are addressed. A number of important measures have been taken aimed at improving housing delivery viability and increasing supply.

The measures include the introduction of a vacant site levy; reductions in development contributions and a targeted development contribution rebate scheme in Dublin and Cork to encourage large scale developments at affordable prices; revised Part V provisions; initiatives to improve financing; implementation of new apartment guidelines; and legislative amendments to introduce greater flexibility and streamlining to the Strategic Development Zone provisions of the Planning and Development Acts. In addition, NAMA is aiming to deliver 20,000 residential units before the end of 2020, with 90% of these units to be in the greater Dublin area.

The Government strategy to address housing supply is comprehensive in terms of policy, legislation and funding. The focus for the period ahead will be on securing full implementation.