Housing Policy

Housing Authorities.

Housing authorities may provide housing services to meet the accommodation needs of persons and households who qualify. This may include

social housing support
affordable housing loans to assist purchase
grant to persons providing new housing
grants for improvement and adaptation
services to homeless persons
halting sites
non-financial assistance;
management maintenance and refurbishment of dwellings

Although the housing authority has obligations, they are not specifically enforceable by persons entitled to housing support.

Infrastructure

The housing authority may provide ancillary services such as roads, shops, services for the benefit of the community, including, facilities playgrounds, places of recreation, parks, allotments, open spaces, sites or places of worship, factory schools offices and other buildings and land.

The infrastructure so provided is to be kept in good order and repair. The Minister may prescribe standards in respect of houses and housing facilities.

Housing Strategy & Development Plan

A planning authority (local authority) must include a housing strategy in its development plan. This is a strategy for the area concerned covered by the plan, for the purpose of ensuring the proper and sustainable development of the area in which provides for the housing of the existing and future population in in the area in the manner set out in the strategy. See generally the sections on the planning framework and the adoption of the development plan.

It all planning decisions, regard must be had to the development plan including in particular the housing strategy in all planning applications.

A Housing Strategy may be prepared by two or more planning authorities in respect of a combined area. The Minister can require that this be done.

In preparing the housing strategy the planning authority must take account of the most recent housing assessment made under the 2009 legislation. It is obliged to consult with approved housing bodies in its area and have regard to government policies and objectives in relation to housing.

Housing Strategy Matters

As a general policy a specific percentage (not exceeding 10%) of the land zoned in the Development Plan for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, shall be reserved for those in need of social housing in the area. Thus the Housing Strategy encompasses both the role of the Authority as the provider of social and special housing and its broader land use planning responsibilities.

The housing strategy shall take into account

existing and likely future need for housing
need to ensure that housing is available for people with different levels of income
need to ensure that the mixture of house types and sizes is developed to reasonably match the requirements of different categories of household as may be determined by the planning authority including the special requirements of elderly persons and persons with disabilities
the need to counteract undue segregation and housing between persons of different social backgrounds
the existing needs and likely future need for housing of different tenures

The strategy must include an estimate of the amount of housing required for

social housing support housing
housing for applicants eligible for affordable under Affordable Housing Act
cost rental housing

Assessing Needs

In making the estimate of affordable housing needs, the planning authority is to take into account

supply and demand for houses generally or houses of a particular class or classes in the whole or part of the area of the development plan
price of houses generally or houses of a particular class in the whole or part of the area after development plan
income of persons generally or of a particular class of person to acquire houses in the area of the development plan
the rates of interest on mortgages for house purchase
the relationship between the price of housing above, incomes above, interest above for the purpose of establishing affordability of houses in the area of the development plan
such other matters as the planning authority considers appropriate or as may be prescribed for this purpose.

Implementation in Planning

The housing strategy is to provide that 20% of land granted permission for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, should be reserved for social and affordable housing provision.

The Housing Strategy is to include objectives to secure implementation of the housing strategy. This may require a fixed percentage of land zoned for residential use must be available for housing.

The Housing Authority may prescribe objectives in relation to each area zoned for residential use. This may include increasing or reducing the percentage of housing required in certain areas in order to prevent segregation of persons of different backgrounds.

The planning authority must ensure that sufficient and suitable land is zoned for residential use residential use or mixed use it so that it meets the requirements of the housing strategy. It must ensure that there is no scarcity of land for housing during the currency of the plan.

The authority is obliged to take steps as may be necessary to secure the objectives of the development plan. The chief executive is to report to the elected members in relation to the implementation of the development plan.

Housing for All 2021

The Housing for All plan 2021 is a strategy for delivery of housing. Local authorities must prepare a housing delivery action plan. It is to cover a 5 year period. This to include

an outline of locations where housing will be delivered
planned numbers of houses in each such area by year
details of existing landholdings and land acquisitions required to deliver the targets
outline plan delivery streams to meet the targets including LDA and approved housing body action with approved housing body and LDA partners
assessment of housing types and sizes in accordance with local needs including adequate provision of one, two, three and four-bedroom house aligned with needs provision for housing with persons with disability provision of age friendly housing
targets for use of vacant properties for social housing to buy and renew construction repair and leasing schemes

An assessment of housing types and sizes, in accordance with local need, including

the adequate proportion of 1-, 2-,3- and 4- bedroom homes aligned with those needs

the provision of housing for people with a disability and
the provision of Age Friendly Housing
Targets for the use of vacant properties as social housing through Buy and

Affordable Housing Act

The Affordable Housing Act 2021 is Act is designed to set the policy framework for a number of schemes aimed at making more affordable homes available for purchase and rent for eligible households. Capital funding to underpin the delivery of homes within these schemes is voted by the Oireachtas in line with Government spending priorities.

The assessment of the quantum of funding required under these schemes over the longer term is informed by the review of the National Development Plan, the upcoming strategic ‘Housing for All’ plan, and the annual budgetary process.

Cost Rental Supports

In 2021, some €35m was explicitly allocated to the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL), administered by the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency. This funding has also been supported by an additional €100m of State-backed loans from the Housing Finance Agency.

Once placed on a statutory basis, the Land Development Agency will also deliver Cost Rental and affordable homes for purchase via €1.25b from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and any further funding raised.

Other supports for the development of cost rental accommodation are being facilitated through the €310m Serviced Sites Fund. This funding is available to Local Authorities to assist in the development of homes for both affordable purchase under Part 2 of this Act and for cost rental.

Affordable Purchase Equity

The new Affordable Purchase Shared Equity scheme for private lands, as addressed in Part 4 of this Act, has received initial funding of €75m for 2021. It is expected that Exchequer funds and non Exchequer co-funding is provided for this scheme in both 2022 and 2023.