Written answers

Thursday, 1 December 2022

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Site Acquisitions

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide details in relation to the announcement that €100 million is being allocated to fund land legacy debt and €125 million is being allocated to establish a land acquisition fund under the Housing Agency; the way that this will assist in the case of Louth County Council and its applicable sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59670/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.

Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026.

Action 4.5 of Housing for All commits to “support local authorities to acquire suitable land to deliver a housing programme, based on existing land banks, the level of social housing to be delivered under Housing for All and Local Authority Housing Delivery Action Plans”.

In order to unlock the potential of some sites where local authorities have outstanding loan balances with the Housing Finance Agency so that they can be made immediately available for social housing development and to support additional local authority borrowing for other key delivery priorities, including Affordable and Cost Rental housing, the Government has agreed to the allocation of €100m to pay down loans which can deliver social housing projects linked to accelerated delivery. The Government has agreed to the allocation of this funding subject to sites meeting a number of criteria:

- The immediate development of a proposal for social housing delivery;

- Commence construction in 2023 if possible and no later than 2024;

- Use of accelerated delivery models, principally off-site / Modern Methods of Construction.

My Department is currently engaging with local authorities to identify suitable sites.

In addition, to support local authorities continued development of the social housing pipeline, a dedicated Land Fund has been established, which will be funded by my Department and managed by the Housing Agency. The Government has now agreed to the establishment of a Fund, with the provision of €125m to be paid to the Agency before the end of 2022 to establish the fund.

The Housing Agency will work closely with local authorities on their land requirements based on an agreed robust approval procedure, agreed set of criteria and a service level agreement to underpin this.

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