Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery for each local authority on a quarterly basis. The statistics are available to the end of 2021 and are published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.

In 2021, a total of 9,183 new social homes were delivered despite housing delivery being impacted by the enhanced Level 5 restrictions introduced in January 2021 which resulted in most residential construction being halted for over three months. This total includes 5,202 new build homes, 1,270 acquisitions and 2,711 homes delivered through leasing programmes.

Increasing the delivery of social housing is a central element of Housing for All, with a target to deliver 47,600 new build homes between 2022-2026, including 9,000 new build homes in 2022.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF is designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices. It’s important to note that LIHAF projects involve complex, large scale public infrastructure developments which pave the way for associated housing development. This requires extensive design, planning, public consultation and procurement processes in advance of the projects moving to construction. With this in mind, construction of housing has started on a number of LIHAF projects across the country.

Local Authorities have been requested by my Department to submit information regarding LIHAF housing delivery in 2021 and overall. A small number of Local Authorities are still in the process of collating total housing delivery figures for 2021 and will provide this information to my Department once they are finalised.

Based on data provided by Local Authorities to my Department in September 2021, 494 units had been completed up to that point in 2021, of which 186 were cost reduced units. The overall total housing delivery under the LIHAF scheme at September 2021 is 3,348 units, which includes 1,592 cost reduced units.

The Serviced Site Fund (SSF) provided for key enabling infrastructure to help unlock publicly-owned lands specifically for the provision of affordable homes to buy or rent. The SSF has been replaced by the Affordable Housing Fund, however a number of projects approved under the SSF are progressing as planned.

There were three SSF projects under construction in 2021 and the Covid pandemic has had an impact on the projected timelines for delivery of housing due to the closure of the construction sector in early 2021. Accordingly, no units were delivered in 2021, however the delivery of units has already commenced this year, with 50 cost rental units completed in March 2022.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The COVID-19 pandemic and associated closures and restrictions of construction sites, had significant impacts on the anticipated timelines for the delivery of Cost Rental developments in 2021.

Despite this, the first 65 Cost Rental homes were tenanted in 2021, with 25 at Taylor Hill in Balbriggan and a further 40 at Barnhall Meadows in Leixlip. Both of the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) supported developments delivered cost-covering rents at least 40% below comparable open-market prices.

Under Housing for All, 10,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered from 2021 to 2026 by Approved Housing Bodies, supported by CREL funding. Local Authorities will be able to avail of funding for Cost Rental delivery through the Affordable Housing Fund. The Land Development Agency will also deliver Cost Rental, either on its own portfolio of sites, or through acquisitions under Project Tosaigh.