Written answers

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing Funding

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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2260. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the social housing developments which his Department is refusing to fund at 100%; the location of these developments; the number of units involved; and the reason 100% departmental funding is not being provided. [28935/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Social housing construction projects undertaken by local authorities are ordinarily funded in full by my Department.  There could be rare situations where a local authority may wish to undertake additional works to a housing development from within its own resources, but this would be very much the exception.   If there is a specific project of interest, I will have the matter considered further if more detailed information is supplied.

Social housing developments that are implemented through Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have different funding  programmes and 100% Departmental funding may not always apply. For example, under the Capital Assistance Scheme, AHBs can avail of 100% funding if all tenancy nominations are to be made by the local authority, but reduced funding applies if the AHB wishes to retain a minority of nomination rights. AHBs also deliver social housing using the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) as a low interest loan to allow them access to early working capital (up to 30% of the relevant costs) for the purchase, construction or refurbishment of properties. Low interest rate borrowings are available to AHBs from the Housing Finance Agency to support the financing of the balance. The AHB effectively uses the CALF approval for the capital injection of up to 30% and the ongoing commitment of lease income under the Payment and Availability Agreement to leverage the balance of finance required.

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