Government misses target on new-build social homes by more than 1,400
Statistics released by the Department of Housing on Wednesday shows that 10,595 social homes were added to the stock in 2024 by local authorities and approved housing bodies.
This included 7,871 new-build homes, 1,501 acquisitions and 1,223 homes through leasing programmes.
The building target was missed by 1,429, or 15%, while 907 fewer homes than expected were leased.
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Minister for Housing James Browne said he 'acknowledged' that the number of new-build social homes was below target, adding that he expects each local authority to 'do everything possible' to meet its targets for this year.
Mr Browne has pledged to publish quarterly performance reports from this year on which will outline how each local authority is delivering on individual targets for new-build social housing.
The figures show that the Government's target for affordable homes was exceeded.
More than 7,100 affordable home supports were delivered in 2024, exceeding a target of 6,400.
The department said that when the Housing Assistance Payment (8,121) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (1,576) are added, 20,292 housing supports were delivered.
The target for 2024 was 8,800 HAP and 1,600 RAS tenancies.
The department said that as is traditional, much of the delivery for 2024 came in the final quarter.
In a statement, Mr Browne said: 'The downturn in private sector building output raised concerns that there would be a similar hit to social housing delivery.
'It appears from these figures that, while there certainly has been an impact, it has not been as pronounced as may have been feared with 7,871 new-build social homes delivered across 2024.
'That figure equates to around 96.5% of the 8,110 delivered in 2023, a year that brought levels of delivery not seen since the 1970s.
'To drive home a renewed urgency in delivering social housing, I will be meeting with the chief executives of all 31 local authorities to discuss their targets and plans to bring forward projects on their own land.
'Reaching our overall annual targets is dependent on each local authority meeting their target and we cannot afford for any individual local authority to fall behind.'
The figures show that 5,751 new-build social homes were delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies in the fourth quarter.
The latest Construction Status Report shows that 10,614 social homes are on-site with an additional 13,996 at design and tender stage.
In the fourth quarter, 80 new construction schemes, making up 1,489 homes, were added to the pipeline.
More than 6,000 shared equity scheme approvals have been issued since the launch in July 2022 of the Government's First Home Scheme across all local authorities, with 74% of approvals issued in Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.
Approximately 480 approvals were issued in the fourth quarter of last year, bringing the total in 2024 to 2,851.
The figures also show that 59,941 households were assessed as qualified for, and in need of, social housing support as of November 4.
This figure had increased by 1,117 from 58,824 on November 1 2023.
Sinn Fein's housing spokesman Eoin O Broin claimed the Government fell 3,023 short of its new-build target, and accused the minister of being 'out of his depth with no new ideas'.
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