Written answers

Tuesday, 15 June 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Policy

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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600. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1946 of 6 September 20219, when the internal working group to consider a long-term strategy for unsold affordable dwellings will report and an update will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31092/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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As of Q4 2020, a total of 2,039 unsold affordable units have been identified across 19 local authorities.

Whilst the original intention was that these properties would be sold on as affordable homes once demand increased to a level that would stimulate a sale, following the financial crash, developments in the housing market resulted in significantly reduced demand for affordable housing and a build-up of unsold affordable housing units in a number of local authority areas.

In April 2009, my Department issued guidance to local authorities on the use of unsold affordable properties as a means to meet social housing need. This was to be achieved through the social housing leasing programme and the Rental Accommodation Scheme, with the properties being leased or managed by an Approved Housing Body or private management company and allocated to tenants from the social housing waiting list.

In September 2020, I convened a working group to examine the issues around these units in detail. This working group comprises members of the Local Government Management Agency, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Agency, Approved Housing Bodies through the Irish Council of Social Housing and my Department.

My Department is currently consulting with all local authorities and the Housing Finance Agency to gather all unsold affordable property financial data. Once completed, the next meeting of the working group will consider the options available for resolving this legacy issue.

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