Funds to help provide housing for people with special accommodation needs, such as the elderly and those with disabilities, are to increase from tomorrow.
Capital funding schemes from local authorities, which are non-repayable, help voluntary and co-operative housing bodies to provide special housing needs. These bodies provided 626 dwellings in 2004 with the assistance of the scheme.
Under the capital loan and subsidy scheme the bodies are given assistance to provide housing to rent to persons on local authority waiting-lists. The bodies provided 981 dwellings in 2004 with the assistance of the scheme.
Those requiring special housing, include the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless, smaller families, Travellers, and eligible elderly emigrants who want to return home under the Safe Home Programme.
The extra funds will be used to provide buildings or refurbish old premises.
The higher level of assistance has been extended to include counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow which form part of the Greater Dublin Area. This is to take account of the increased cost of building in those areas.
Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Noel Ahern said the improved terms of the capital funding schemes would ensure the strong growth in housing output by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector would continue. He also launched the Centre for Housing Research, which replaces the Housing Unit.