Housing for All E-zine April 2024

March 2024

Welcome to this month's edition of the Housing for All E-zine which brings you all the news and progress on Housing for All, the Government's housing plan to 2030.

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Strong House-Building Momentum Continues in 2024

Housing for All Progress Report Q1 2024

The Q1 2024 Housing for All Progress Report was published on 24 April by the Taoiseach, Minister O'Brien and Minister Ryan. It showed the strong upward trend in home-building evident throughout last year was continuing this in 2024 and?

Report highlights included:

• Nearly 12,000?new homes were commenced in first three months 2024,
• confirmation that?development levy waiver and the Uisce éireann rebate extended,?
• additional €40m State Funding committed to First Home Scheme,?
• allocation of €100m to deliver over 1,000 student beds.,
• 4,376 applications received for the vacant property grant.?

Read the Q1 2024 Progress Report

Record number of home commencements in?Q1?2024?

Commencement figures for new home starts in the first three months of 2024 were published on 18 April.?

They showed that:

• ?11,956 homes were commenced in Q1 2024. This is?up 63% on the same period in 2023 and a record since the data series began,
• 4,900 new homes were commenced in March 2024, an increase of 51% on March last year (3,244),
• In the last 12 months (April 2023 to March 2024) 37,408 units were commenced, up 37% on the previous12 months.

Q1 2024 Commencements

16% ?increase in?social homes delivered in 2023

Almost 12,000 new homes-highest level in decades

On March 27, Minister O'Brien published the social and affordable housing delivery statistics for 2023.?

They showed:

• 2023 was a record year for social housing with 11,939 homes delivered- a 16% increase on 2022 and the highest level in decades,
• 4,000+ affordable homes delivered in 2023, a 128% increase on 2022,?
• a strong pipeline for 2024 of 22,500 social homes are either on site or at a design and tender stage.

More about the statistics

€100m approved?for hundreds of new cost rental homes

On 11 April, Minister O’Brien approved over €100m in funding to deliver 546 new cost rental homes across five different local authorities: Dublin City, Cork City, Laois, Kildare and Kilkenny?

The funding will further increase the supply of affordable secure rental homes in high demand areas across Ireland with rent which is?at least 25% below market rates.

About this project

Plans for 400 social and affordable homes in Dublin 12 published?

The Land Development Agency and Dublin City Council have published draft plans for a new social and affordable housing development in Dublin 12.

Bluebell Waterways, located beside the 5th Lock on the Grand Canal at the former filter bed complex, will provide almost 400 homes, as well as community spaces and active travel links.

Learn more

€100 million to deliver more than?1,000 student beds announced

On 25 April,?Taoiseach Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins, and?Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform , Ossian Smyth?announced funding of €100 million to deliver more than 1,000 student accommodation beds.

The funding will see:

• 493 new beds to be developed in UCD,
• progression of 405 new beds in DCU through tender stage, and
• 116 new beds in Maynooth University to construction.

Speaking at the launch,? the?Taoiseach said;?

In my previous role, the Department and I made tackling the challenges around student accommodation a priority, an issue which is a key objective under Housing for All

Approved housing bodies deliver new social homes in Kerry and South Dublin

Partnering with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs)?to deliver social, cost rental and affordable homes is a key element of Housing for All's delivery. In the last month, several projects have been completed by AHBs in conjunction with the Department of Housing to provide new homes for families and individuals.?

KERRY: 67 homes in conjunction with Co-Op Housing and Focus+

On 23 April, Co-operative Housing Ireland and Focus Housing Associations welcomed Minister O’Brien to Castleisland, Co. Kerry to open 67 new social homes. The homes comprise of 31 homes delivered by Focus Housing Association and 36 homes by Co-operative Housing Ireland.

SOUTH DUBLIN: 55 homes in conjunction with the Iveagh Trust+

On 11 April, 55 new homes at Clay Farm, Leopardstown, Co Dublin were opened. The new homes, consisting of 35 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom apartments, have been allocated to individuals on the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown social housing list. The new homes were delivered in partnership with the Iveagh Trust.

More social and affordable homes becoming available to rent and buy

A central pillar of Housing for All is to increase delivery of different forms of housing to meet different housing needs. This includes new homes to buy or rent at below market rates as well as social homes. New cost rental and affordable housing developments have been launched recently with others opening for application shortly

Affordable purchase- Shannon, Co Clare

Affordable purchase- North County Dublin

Affordable purchase- Kilkenny City

Cost rental- Leixlip, Co Kildare

Affordable purchase- Kilkenny City

Affordable purchase- Donabate, Co. Dublin

Next stage of construction of 400 new cost rental and social homes in Clongriffin, Dublin marked by Minister O'Brien

The next stage of construction for a new social and cost rental housing development of 397 homes at Griffin Point, Hole in the Wall Road, Clongriffin was marked by Minister O'Brien on 17 April.?

The homes are being?delivered by Approved Housing Body, Respond?in partnership with Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing.? As well as providing?397 new lifetime homes, it will also include a child care facility.?

More about this development

National study reveals 89% of people are satisfied with their homes

The latest National Study of Housing Experiences, Attitudes and Aspirations in Ireland was released by the Housing Agency on 22 April.?

Key findings included:

• Overall, 92% of householders were satisfied with their neighbourhood,
• Householders in Connacht and Ulster have highest level of satisfaction,
• 52% of homeowners have? or plan to improve their home’s energy efficiency.

Read the report

Latest First Home Scheme (FHS)?update shows?118% increase in homes bought?

There has been a?118% increase in homes bought using the FHS in Q1 2024 compared with Q1 2023 according to the latest update.?

It also found:?

• Over €100m in support provided to Scheme users to buy 1,517 homes so far,
• 4,000 buyers have been approved and received eligibility certs since launch in July 2022,
• 66% of Scheme users are also using Help to Buy.

Read the report

New road opening to facilitate?construction of 1,700 homes?in Limerick?

Providing the required infrastructure such as water and access services to facilitate the construction of new homes is a key element of Housing for All.?

In Limerick,?the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund was a key to constructing the new Mungret access road?in Limerick.?

This road scheme will open up a large swathe of land for development, and led to? the construction of 1,700 homes while also proving?access to schools, workplaces, and local shopping areas by walking and cycling.

The new road was officially opened by Minister Kieran O'Donnell on 15 April.?

More about this project

Policy Insight Series:?Office-to-Residential Conversions

The Housing Agency has published its latest in its policy insight series.? This paper describes how?Tuath Housing? Association?collaborated successfully carry out two conversion projects in?Dublin 12 and Cork City.?

Read the paper

Modern Methods of?Construction- sustainable home delivery

Housing for All commits?to promoting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) as a key way of addressing Ireland’s housing needs. MMC techniques can speed up?construction projects by between 20% and 60 %.? We recently submitted an article to the Construction Industry Federation magazine on the topic.?

Read the article

Housing for All homepage

The Housing for All webpage contains information on the plan, including a detailed outline of the objectives and actions under each of the plan's pathways.

Housing for All homepage

Quarterly progress reports

Quarterly progress reports set out performance to-date against the targets and actions set out in the plan in a clear and comprehensible way.

Quarterly progress reports

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Custom House, Dublin Ireland

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