Main housing bodies deliver 5,325 new homes

Housing Alliance says it is ahead of target in the delivery of social homes for 2023

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien opening 28 new social homes at Millers Square, Millers Glen, Swords, this year. Photograph: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Six of the State’s largest approved housing bodies (AHBs) say they have delivered 5,325 new homes this year and are ahead of target for 2023.

The Housing Alliance, a collaboration of six AHBs (Clúid Housing, Circle Voluntary Housing, Co-operative Housing Ireland, Oaklee Housing, Respond and Tuath Housing), also said it expected to deliver 5,022 new homes in 2024.

The alliance said the figure of 5,325 represented about 18.3 per cent of the Government’s overall housing target of 29,000 completions in 2023. The organisation had previously set a target of 5,000 completions in 2023.

The six bodies said they were now “well on the way” to exceeding the AHB target of 12,000 new social and affordable homes delivered between 2022 and 2024, and 1,500 new cost rental homes up to 2025.

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John Hannigan, chair of the Housing Alliance, said: ‘’Today’s figures show that AHBs are incredibly efficient at delivering social and affordable housing at scale.

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“All of our members have been highly motivated and highly ambitious in our efforts to tackle the housing crisis and meet challenges head on. The AHB sector could deliver many more homes if additional funding was made available. It is critical that AHBs’ need are part of the discussions when it comes to housing delivery.

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“They have an exceptional record in delivering social and cost rental homes across the country and have been working with Government and local authorities to great success. Housing Alliance members already manage 30,000 homes,” he said.

Opposition parties claim that on the basis of the completions so far this year the Government will not make its social and affordable targets for 2023, set at 9,100 and 5,500 respectively. But Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien insists the last quarter will see a high number of completions.

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Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times