The Approved Housing Body sector has seen huge growth over the past ten years, the CEO of the Irish Council for Social Housing has said.
Donal McManus said that the AHB sector has been “a key player in a State-wide social and affordable housing recovery.”
The ICSH, which represents more than 270 member organisations, is hosting its biennial Finance and Development conference in Sligo.
A woman who was given a long-term home after being homeless in the North West said the legacy of homelessness lifted when she got the keys to her home.
“When I got my keys, I cried. I was shaking. It was pure release of many, many years of being lost, scared it just, everything just left me, and I knew I was going to be okay, and I knew my kids would be okay. I knew we made it. I knew we were safe,” she said.
Focus Ireland manager in the North West Mary Jameson said the current supply is not sufficient for the demand they are facing.
“What’s required in the North West is more housing, more social and affordable housing, and more private rented as well. There are two properties available to rent in Sligo on Daft this morning: two, three-bed properties,” she added.
The Irish Council for Social Housing Conference has heard detailed discussions on the financing and development of social and affordable homes.
The AHB sector went from delivering 211 homes in 2013 to delivering about 6,000 homes last year.
The President of the Irish Council for Social Housing Tina Donaghy said although there has been a significant increase, they “must also concentrate on those more vulnerable households, elderly people, people with disabilities and homeless people.”
“We need to make sure that we don’t leave that cohort behind,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chair of the Housing Agency John O’Connor said the industry needs to get to a stage where they are “delivering a constant amount of housing and where there’s a constant amount of people employed in construction.”
“Countries that are more successful have that continuity of supply,” he said.
The AHB sector manages homes in over 600 communities throughout Ireland.
The State is currently three years into the multi-annual investment commitment of the Housing For All plan, under which AHBs are delivering 40% to 50% of social housing in each local authority.
Budget 2025 committed capital funding of €2.157bn, an increase of €257m on 2024, to deliver 10,000 new-build social homes and 1,000 Cost Rental homes via €300m provided under the Cost Rental Equity Loan mechanism.
The ICSH said this funding signals commitment and confidence from the government in the capacity of AHBs and local authority partners to scale up delivery.
Mr McManus said that “increased delivery also needs to respond to regional and national demographics.”
An AHB Strategic Forum has been established to set a vision for the sector over the next ten years. The conference will discuss the sector’s future against this backdrop,” McManus added.
Article Source – Huge increase in social and cost rental homes over 10 years – ICSH – RTE