Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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972. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on plans (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39354/23]

Darragh 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 and 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. 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.

My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR). The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 4 2022. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/.

A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis at the link below: data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q4-2022?package_type=dataset

A key action of Housing for All required local authorities to develop Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. I also asked each local authority to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment Tool and plan their provision accordingly. Clare County Council’s Plan has been published on their own website and is available at this link www.clarecoco.ie/services/housing/news/clare-county-council-housing-delivery-action-plan.html

Local authorities with the highest levels of affordable housing need were asked to prepare Affordable Delivery Plans as part of their overall Plans and were set five-year Affordable Delivery Targets. While Clare does not have a specific target as average house price levels in the county are still below the national median, my Department met with Clare County Council recently to discuss the potential submission of an affordable housing project following a localised pilot study aimed at identifying affordability issues in certain towns within the local authority area.

Where there are localised challenges, funding can be made available to develop a scheme in line with Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) criteria. Circular 06/2023 issued to all local authorities on the 21 February 2023 providing full guidance on preparing an AHF application. Further assistance with developing schemes is available from my Department, the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office within the Local Government Management Association.

In addition, the First Home Scheme, which was launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full information on the scheme is available on the First Home Scheme dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. Statistical data on delivery across all affordable housing streams during 2022 as published on my Department's website shows that activity has begun to take place under this scheme for Clare and is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery.

Finally, the new Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is also available in Clare and it provides for grants for refurbishment of vacant properties of up to €50,000 or €70,000 if the property is derelict. I also announced last year, a new Ready to Build serviced sites scheme under the Fund where local authorities will provide sites at a discount to people who want to build their own home. Information on both of these schemes are available directly from Clare County Council.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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973. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an estimated unit cost to the Exchequer for providing cost rental homes (1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom) and for providing affordable homes (1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39415/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is in place to support local authorities to deliver affordable purchase and cost rental homes in line with the ambitious targets set out under the Government's Housing For All strategic plan and the provisions of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. The AHF does not provide funding support to affordable housing delivery by Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency, First Homes, or a range of other affordability measures which are addressed separately.

The cost of delivering new homes is dependent on a range of variables, such as the location, the scale of the development, and the size and type of the homes involved. Overall cost information relating to approved local authority affordable housing schemes is collated at development/project level rather than at individual housing unit level.

In general, AHF subsidy rates of €50,000, €75,000 and €100,000 per affordable home are applied dependent on the location of and the net density achieved in the development. A subsidy rate of up to €150,000 per affordable unit applies to cost rental developments in the five city areas.

This subsidy is applied by the Local Authority to the development costs which allows the homes to be made available for purchase or rent to eligible applicants at a reduced price or rent, a discount of at least 15% below the open market sale price or at least 25% less than the market rent.

In the case of an affordable purchase home, the remaining development costs are met by the purchaser's funds and mortgage loan. The local authority takes a percentage equity stake in the home equal to the discount of the purchase price from the full market value of the home which is redeemable by the purchaser at a future date. The amount of discount applied is determined by the local authority on a case by case basis having regard to the purchasing power of the approved affordable housing applicant.

In the case of cost rental homes the remaining development costs after subsidy are primarily paid for by borrowing which is repaid over time from the cost rental income stream.

In summary, the AHF outlay to assist in the delivery by local authorities of affordable homes for purchase or rent will fall in the range from €50,000 to €100,000 in the case of an affordable purchase home and up to €150,000 in the case of a cost rental home, with 95% of the AHF subsidy being met from Exchequer funds.