Written answers

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Provision

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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221. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing developments and units currently delayed due to issues arising from the application of the availability agreement formulae; if the formulae are being reviewed; and if so, when the review will be concluded. [13680/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing For All sets out national housing policy and implementation measures for the period to 2030. As part of the objective to increase social housing delivery, the plan recognises the significant role that Approved Housing Bodies (AHB’s) have played as partners in social housing delivery and will continue to play over the next five years.

All applications under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF), with a Payment and Availability Agreement (P&A), scheme are compliant with the scheme guidelines, and comply with the underpinning financial assessment model. Currently there are no delays on these proposals.

The CALF funding model has worked very successfully over the past 10 years, particularly for the larger AHBs that have adapted their delivery plans to utilise P&A-CALF funding. The increase in market rents over the intervening period has extended the geographic range of areas where dwellings can be delivered to the extent that projects have been completed in all local authority areas.

Under Housing For All, a specific objective, Action 4.10, is to “ review the structure and operation of CALF to assess whether any refinements to the facility are required to support delivery of social housing by the AHB sector across a wider range of Local Authority areas.”

One of the key purposes of this exercise is to review the structure of the P&A-CALF funding model to determine if it should be adjusted to support delivery by the AHB sector across a wider range of areas and what options might be available to enable this.

Work is underway on this review with the support of the Housing Agency and is on track to be completed by Q4 this year.

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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222. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of approved housing body, capital advance leasing facility and capital assistance scheme units delivered in 2021 in each local authority; the average capital advance leasing facility and capital assistance scheme payment in each local authority per unit; the average all-in cost of the social housing units per county for each schemes; and if all figures will be provided with a breakdown between capital advance leasing construction and capital advance leasing facility turnkey in tabular form. [13681/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are important delivery partners for local authorities in the delivery of social housing. My Department and local authorities administer a number of funding programmes to assist AHBs with the cost of building, acquiring and leasing new social housing units.

The housing and accommodation needs of a range of vulnerable individuals and families, whether permanent housing or temporary/emergency needs, are supported through funding provided under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). This funding supports priority areas such as age-friendly housing, accommodation for individuals and families who are homeless, housing for people with a disability and in the last few years CAS funding is also being used to support other important and emerging areas of housing need delivered by AHBs including the development of new refuges for victims of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, housing for care leavers (people exiting State care at the age of 18), de-congregation and returning emigrants.

The Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) funding is capital support provided to AHBs by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction, acquisition or refurbishment of new social housing units. This loan facility can support up to 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the housing units provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements.

The details of delivery and average costs for CAS and CALF funded schemes in 2021 are available at the following link.

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