THE Government’s target to reduce social housing waiting lists by 25 per cent by the end of 2017 has been welcomed locally.
Over
?¬1.5 billion will be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes by local authorities designed to accommodate 25 per cent of those currently on waiting lists for social housing.
The move comes as part of the Government’s
?¬3.8 billion social housing strategy announced last November.
Each local authority was asked to bring forward housing unit targets and specific building projects out to 2017.
As part of the allocation, Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council will receive
?¬292,194,455 and
?¬81,041,413 respectively.
Peter McVerry Trust, the homeless and housing charity, welcomed the announcement.
Its chief executive Pat Doyle said it was further progress towards a properly functioning system of social housing output.
“The rapid realisation of local authority housing during this period through building, buying or leasing is essential as these units will be key to helping people exit homeless services,
? said Mr Doyle.
“We have already seen a decline in the number of people exiting homelessness into the private rental sector due to lack of affordable and adequate accommodation within rent supplement ceilings.
“The target and funding announced will no doubt provide a challenge to local authorities who had scaled back social housing projects because of a lack of available funds.
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Mr Doyle added:
“It is important that they now develop the capacity to sustainably grow their housing output using this three-year period as a catalyst for future social housing developments.
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Approximately 300 separate building proposals by local authorities are currently being assessed by the department and will be announced in a number of phases starting in mid-April.
Dublin North West TD, Dessie Ellis, also welcomed details of the plan but said the Government had taken too long to deliver in the context of what he described as
“a severe housing crisis.
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“This is not new money or for that matter much of an increase in spending on housing although it is welcome,
? he said.
“We are talking about an average of about
?¬500 million on housing each year until 2018, which will not solve the housing crisis but could ease a lot of suffering if used correctly.
“The Government has dragged its heels on tackling the housing crisis, allowing it to worsen severely over its four years in office.
“It has taken a third of a year for them to give more detail on their strategy and in that time little has been delivered on the ground to tackle the lack of housing.
“We need more money for social housing and the Government should be looking at using the Strategic Investment Fund for a major boost in addition to their plans.
The Sinn Fein spokesperson on housing also called for more houses to be built with local authorities and housing associations to help a move away from dependence on the private market.
“The government must, from today forward, act with dedication and haste in delivering housing as they have already wasted too much time ignoring the problem and working on spinning strategies rather than delivering what is needed, and that is housing.
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