Affordable Housing: Affordable housing is to take off in earnest in 2006, thanks to a new Government initiative to co-ordinate supply.

Chaired by former SIPTU president Des Geraghty, the Affordable Homes Partnership (AHP) will accelerate the process wherever it can.

Freeing up State-owned land for housing, co-ordinating infrastructure delivery and communicating with the public on affordable housing, are among the AHP's mandates.

John O'Connor, former housing officer with Dublin City Council, is on the board of the AHP. City managers Owen Keegan, John FitzGerald, Joe Horan and John Tierney are also members.

Mary Higgins, director of the Homeless Agency; Mary Lambkin, professor of marketing at UCD; and Maureen Lynott, chair of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, are also on the AHP board.

"They are all people with experience of housing need or with marketing skills - no one in construction is involved," says John O'Connor.

Freeing-up land for affordable housing, simplifying the application process and getting the message across to the public are the main aims of the initiative, he adds.

"People don't know the boundaries of the different local authorities. We would like a central application system for all Dublin local authorities, possibly web-based, where applicants express an interest as developments come up. People would have more choice."

A "call for land" last year had good results, with lands in the Fingal and south Dublin areas, Meath and Kildare submitted for purchase for affordable housing, says O'Connor.

After a few months in operation, the AHP is making progress, says Colm Murphy of South Dublin County Council. "Land swapping is happening now - a builder is producing 190 units in three locations in south Dublin this year in return for a piece of land in the city centre," he says. South Dublin County Council expects to have 500 affordable units in 2006.

Offers will be made across the board, Murphy adds, based on the properties most suitable for candidates. South Dublin County Council's walk-in Property Path shop in the county hall in Tallaght, with its estate agent look, has attracted many new applicants.

The Affordable Housing Scheme was set up to help young earners acquire a home at a considerably reduced price. The most popular are Part V schemes where developers have to give up to 20 per cent of their housing stock to the local authority to sell to affordable candidates. In the Dublin City Council area where demand is highest, weighting is given to those who live in the area and to local authority tenants who will be vacating rented accommodation.

But everyone is in with a chance and a good percentage of properties go to applicants in private rental accommodation or living with parents. Names are drawn on a lottery basis, with 10 per cent distributed to council or voluntary housing tenants who will be releasing new social units by becoming homeowners.

Another 30 per cent goes to those living in the development area.

The remaining 60 per cent will be distributed to people living in the city or greater Dublin area. The process is now easier to access, says Gerry Folan of Dublin City Council, with a one-stop shop soon to be set up for affordable applicants.

"People can now register with a short form and we will communicate with them on a regular basis to inform them of upcoming supply. When their name comes out of a hat, only then do we test their criteria and income qualifications," he says.

Fingal was one of the earliest local authorities to be up and running with its Affordable Housing Scheme and, with a plentiful supply, waiting lists are short.

Prices are very affordable in some Fingal locations. Two-bed apartments in Balbriggan sold last year for €128,000 and two-bed houses in Lusk went for €162,000. In Rush, two-bed houses sold for €150,000 and three-beds for €167,000.

There is more to come, says Alan Carty of Fingal. "It's going to be a bumper January and February. We have keys for 50 apartments in Kinsealy and another 30 in Lusk to give to applicants."