Minister O’Brien publishes social and affordable housing delivery statistics for Quarter 4 2023

• Close to 12,000 new social homes were delivered in 2023 - 16% increase on 2022 - highest level in decades
• Robust pipeline with 22,500 social homes either on site or at design and tender stage
• Over 4,000 affordable homes delivered in 2023 - more than double the previous year

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien TD today announced that close to 12,000 new social homes were delivered in 2023, a significant increase on 2022 which in itself was the best year of delivery since the mid-1970s. The Minister also reported that over 4,000 affordable homes were delivered last year.

The announcement came as the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage today published its social and affordable housing delivery statistics for Quarter 4 2023 showing very strong delivery for social housing in the final quarter of last year as has been typical in previous years.

The Social and Affordable Housing data sets can be accessed here: Overall social and affordable housing provision

Social Housing

In 2023, 11,939 new social homes were delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, including 8,110 new-build homes, 1,830 acquisitions and 1,999 homes through leasing programmes.

This is an increase of 16.33% on 2022 when 10,263 social homes were delivered. This represents the highest level of delivery of new-build social housing in half a century.

When the Housing Assistance Payment (8,292) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (1,542) are added, 21,773 social housing supports were delivered in 2023.

As is traditional, much of the delivery for 2023 was done so in the final quarter of the year. Today's figures show that 7,132 new social homes were delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in Quarter 4, including 5,472 new-build homes, 801 acquisitions and 859 homes delivered through leasing programmes. The figures represent the strongest national delivery of social housing since the mid-1970s. Including Housing Assistance Payment (2,029) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (442) 9,603 housing supports were delivered in Quarter 4.

The delivery pipeline for the future also looks strong with the latest Construction Status Report showing that 7,089 social homes were onsite at end Q4 2023 and an additional 15,448 homes at design and tender stage. Indeed, underlining the momentum, in Quarter 4 2023 190 new construction schemes (4,185 homes) were added to the pipeline.

The Department has also published the Construction Status Report (CSR) for Q4 2023 today. The CSR provides scheme-level detail on new-build social housing activity and is published on the Department's website. This is sorted by local authority, and gives a list of the individual projects that make up the new build programme for that local authority (excluding LA Part V delivery).

Welcoming this performance, Minister O'Brien said:

"It is clear that the momentum we could see building last year has continued and intensified. In 2022, we were able to hail the best social housing provision since the '70s and in 2023 we performed even better with a 16% increase in the number of homes delivered. I know that today we are talking about the numbers but behind these figures lies the fact that this delivery is providing valuable life-changing support to tens of thousands of our citizens and I intend to keep this momentum going.

"Last year's increases were driven by the fact that my Department has worked closely with the local government sector, directly with local authorities and through the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the LGMA's Housing Delivery Coordination Office (HDCO). This has enabled us to identify blockages in the system that we have worked hard to systematically remove around areas such as funding for additional staff, enhancements to the approvals process and legacy debt issues. It is now clear to see where those efforts have started to materialise into delivery at the scale that is required.

"The initial acquisition target we set ourselves of 200 was revised upwards to 1,500 in March 2023 and I am pleased to say that was exceeded by 22% meaning thousands of people, families and individuals, are safe and secure in their home for live.

"Undoubtedly different local authorities face different challenges and it is clear that there is no one-size-fits all solution. For that reason, engagement and ongoing collaboration have been key to getting us to where we are now. Maintaining this will also be critical to our efforts to realise the ambitious overall Housing for All targets that were originally set out in 2021 - as well as our collective ability to respond to increased targets that we know are coming."

2023 Affordable Housing Delivery

In 2023, over 4,000 affordable housing options were delivered in respect of both affordable purchase and cost rental homes via Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency (LDA), the First Home Scheme and through the new Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

The delivery of affordable housing has more than doubled - the figures representing an increase of 128% on 2022 activity, which highlights the significant progress achieved to date in relation to affordable housing.

In total, funding of over €325m has been approved to date from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to assist in the delivery of 4,000 affordable purchase and cost rental homes by local authorities across 21 Local Authorities.

The First Home Scheme in particular has proven to be a key support for first-time buyers. Over 3,100 First Home Scheme approvals have issued since its launch in July 2022, with over 2,400 of those issued in 2023. This scheme continues to support first-time buyers and other eligible homebuyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market. In addition, since September 2023, the First Home Scheme now supports those who wish to build their own home.

Affordable Purchase Homes

Following delivery of the first Affordable Purchase homes in a generation in 2022, over 490 Affordable Purchase homes have been delivered in 2023 via the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme with a good pipeline being built up across the local authorities from a standing start in 2022. 1,243 affordable purchase homes have now been advertised in Carlow, Cork City, Cork County, Fingal, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Limerick, Meath, South Dublin, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow.

Cost Rental Homes

In relation to Cost Rental, to date there are over 1,600 Cost Rental homes in the State delivered by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Local Authorities and the LDA.

In terms of AHB delivery, over €675m has been approved under the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) to assist in the delivery of over 3,250 Cost Rental homes across 12 local authority areas. In addition, key changes made to the CREL scheme in 2023 are now supporting additional delivery in 2024 and onwards.

There is a further pipeline of 1,437 local authority Cost Rental homes across thirteen projects.

Land Development Agency

Further progress is being made by the LDA providing affordable and social housing through their market engagement initiative, Project Tosaigh, and through their work developing relevant public land.

In 2023, the LDA has delivered over 560 Cost Rental homes through Project Tosaigh in four local authority areas, with over 2,500 Social, Affordable Purchase and Cost Rental homes having now either been delivered, contracted or recommended to proceed to procurement under this initiative.

Real progress is being made on transferring relevant public land to the LDA to deliver social and affordable housing. Construction work is underway at sites in Cork and Kildare, with expected delivery of over 480 homes. In addition, a number of other state owned sites have planning applications lodged and approved.

The LDA are also partnering with local authorities to deliver social and affordable homes on public land. Construction of 597 new homes at Shanganagh, Co Dublin is being delivered in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council with the first units expected to be completed in 2024.

Vacancy

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022, is part of a range of initiatives to address vacancy and make bringing existing properties back into use more affordable. In 2023, over 3,000 applications were approved for the grant, with 100 grants paid out to successful applicants as refurbishment works were completed. The Grant is successfully supporting applicants to refurbish previously vacant properties, and making it affordable for them to bring them into use as homes. The level of drawdown is expected to ramp up significantly across 2024 as works are completed.

Commenting on the progress made on affordable delivery in 2023 and anticipating delivery this year, Minister O'Brien emphasised:

"Affordable housing schemes are now operating at scale and the affordable housing delivery programme will continue to be expanded and developed by all delivery partners in 2024 and beyond. Across the country hundreds of homes have now been advertised on the affordablehomes.ie website.

"The measures I have introduced - such as the increased financial support for delivery of Cost Rental homes by Approved Housing Bodies, and the increased vacant and derelict property grants, - are addressing the viability challenges and the difficulties people face in having an affordable home.

"The First Home Scheme is proving extremely popular and this is continuing to go from strength to strength with approvals issuing each day.

"In addition, the recent Government agreement to expand the Local Authority Home Loan will further assist those people wishing to finance the purchase of vacant properties.

"I am determined to continue this momentum and to strengthen the pipeline of affordable housing delivery being developed and expanded by local authorities, AHBs and the LDA."

Social housing waiting lists

The Minister also today published figures from the 2023 Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) which show a substantial reduction of 35.8% in the social housing waiting list since the first annual assessment was conducted in 2016.

The summary shows 58,824 households were assessed as being qualified for, and in need of, social housing support as of 1 November 2023. The overall figure has increased slightly by 982 from November 2022 but this 1% rise can be seen in the context of the recent increase to the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities (effective from 1 January 2023).

The full Summary of Social Housing Assessments can be accessed here: Summary of Social Housing Assessments

ENDS