Written answers

Thursday, 13 July 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Social and Affordable Housing

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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35. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to implement measures to make vacant houses and sites available for social and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33431/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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A range of measures are being taken under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnessto increase housing supply overall, with the aim of creating a functioning and sustainable housing system which can meet housing demand at more affordable prices.

While building new homes is a key element of Rebuilding Ireland, another effective way to meet housing needs is to achieve optimum occupancy of the existing housing stock, whether social or private housing. In this context, Pillar 5 of the Action Plan is specifically focused on "Utilising Existing Housing Stock", with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of Rebuilding Ireland commits to the development of a National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy, informed by Census 2016 data.

To this end, the Housing Agency established a working group comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and from the Housing Agency itself to inform the Strategy. My Department has received the output from the work of this Group and is presently engaging with key Departments and Agencies to consider the analysis and agree on the recommended actions, prior to publication.

I would like to see as much ambition as possible in bringing as many viable vacant properties back into use at an early stage. I intend, as part of the targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland, to explore what further actions can be taken and what new ideas we can bring to bear, in close liaison with Ministerial colleagues. If budgetary measures are needed to reinforce the ambition, this may delay the publication of the Vacant Homes Strategy. But this will not delay the commencement of important work at local level in gathering more accurate and up-to-date information on where vacant properties are and who owns them, so that we can facilitate the re-use of many vacant properties, particularly in our cities and towns.

Ahead of finalisation of the Strategy, it is important to note that my Department has already introduced a number of significant measures to incentivise the increased use of vacant housing stock to help meet the needs of those in receipt of social housing assistance. These initiatives include

- the Repair and Leasing Scheme, which is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property,

- the Buy and Renew Scheme, which allows local authorities and AHBs to approach owners of vacant, privately-owned houses in need of repair or remediation, with the option to either lease and repair, or to buy and repair, the dwelling, and

- the €70m Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund, to establish a revolving fund to acquire some 1,600 units from banks and investment companies over the period to 2020 for social housing use.

In relation to vacancy and existing social housing stock, my Department has introduced the Voids and Derelicts programmes to provide additional support to local authorities in remediating more seriously derelict social houses, and bring them back into use for social housing tenants. Collectively, these two programmes have already seen the remediation of some 7,200 units between 2014 and 2016, at an estimated total cost of €68 million. This is on top of units completed by the local authorities themselves outside of the funding support from my Department.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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36. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the new targets for new social housing units by 2021, in view of his statement that current targets will not be met by 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33430/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is focused on increasing supply across all tenures and, in respect of social housing, the target is to deliver 47,000 housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisition and leasing over the period 2016 to 2021, alongside an accelerated roll-out of the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP) to meet the needs of some 80,000 households. This activity is being supported through a significantly increased investment programme of €5.35 billion, while a further €226 million is provided for the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund for investment in key enabling infrastructure to open up lands for early development.

I have not indicated any change in relation to the social housing targets set out in Rebuilding Ireland and I am confident that they will be met. While still at an early stage of implementation, there is already strong evidence that the focus on increasing and accelerating housing supply in Rebuilding Ireland is yielding results. In 2016, the housing needs of over 19,000 households were met through a range of housing programmes, supported by expenditure of over €935 million. A further €1.3 billion has been provided for 2017 to support the accelerated delivery of social housing and the achievement of the 2017 target to meet the housing needs of over 21,000 households.

Looking ahead, my Department has published Status Reports on Social Housing Construction Projects, the latest of which is available at the following link: . The report provides details of over 600 social housing projects, involving the construction of over 10,000 new social homes across the 31 local authority areas. The scale of the construction pipeline, as at end-Quarter 1 2017, represents a major escalation in the social housing build programme and more projects are being added on an ongoing basis, to ensure we deliver on the Rebuilding Ireland targets.

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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37. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce the cost rental form of social housing as agreed in the programme for Government. [33187/17]

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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53. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress being made to advance the cost to rent rental housing scheme as committed to in the programme for Government. [33114/17]

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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67. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that a group (details supplied) will be included in the expert group to develop a cost rental model for the rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33374/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 53 and 67 together.

The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, noted that the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcontains a commitment to develop a "cost rental" option, taking account of work already completed in this area, including by the National Economic and Social Council and others.

In line with this commitment, Action 12 of the Strategycommits my Department to lead an expert group to develop a cost rental model for the Irish rental sector. This Group will address issues such as funding mechanisms, the need to grow the necessary institutional capacity, particularly within the AHB and not-for-profit sector (whether through mergers, new entrants or strategic partnerships), rent levels, the households to be targeted and the appropriate regulation mechanisms.

The Expert Group will assess the benefits that a larger and more developed not-for-profit segment would bring to the rental sector and the housing system, by increasing supply of rental accommodation for middle-income households and ensuring new capacity is developed and attracted into Ireland. The Expert Group will also consider various proposals, including the proposal to establish a semi-State company to progress the cost rental model, in the course of its work.

It is my intention to establish this Expert Group in the coming weeks and the development of a proposal regarding its membership and terms of reference is currently being prepared in my Department. As committed in the Rental Strategy, it is envisaged that the Expert Group will report initially before the end of the year.

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