Irish Examiner* Thursday, 27 November 2014 Page: 7
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Barry Quinlan, principal officer, Department of the Environment; Minister of State Paudie Coffey; Environment Minister Alan Kellyand Bairbre Nic Aonghasa, head of Housing, Department of the Environment, launching the Social Housing Strategy at Custom House, Dublin. Picture:StephenCoiiins/Coiiins
Broad welcome but some concerns over strategy In the first phase, the expand; streamlined funding target is 18,000 additional approval for AHB delivery; greater collaboration A new plan by government housing units and 32,000 between AHBs and to clear the 90,000 HAP/RAS (Housing Assistance Payment /Rental local government at a local waiting list for social housing Scheme) and regional level; and has been welcomed by Accommodation improved regulation. support groups, but with a units to be delivered by the Simon Brooke, Cluid’s warning that much more end of 2017. work is needed to ease the NABCO, the representative head of policy, said while body for housing ambitious and welcome, crisis. welcomed the new strategy was “only Alan Kelly, the environment co-operative, the new strategy, in particular a start”,. minister, introduced Bob Jordan, the chief what it said were five Social Housing Strategy executive of Threshold, 2020. Support, Supply and key points: multi-annual said he was concerned it Reform, and pledged it funding for AHBs (Approved Housing Bodies); would need to have a would be “executed in impact on the full” and delivered in two the prioritising of investment speedy phases. in AHBs seeking to problems facing families at
by Noel Baker
risk of homelessness now. quicker than new build The Irish Council for schemes. However, he believes in Social Housing welcomed the early years of the strategy, the plan, as did the Simon priority should be Communities, which given to homeless families, demanded measures to alleviate those facing claiming the “ring fencing homelessness now. of a relatively small number of units” would help The Peter McVerry Trust, a homeless and alleviate homelessness. housing trust, also welcomed “We would now urge the announcement, the Govermnent to establish with CEO Pat Doyle the relevant task claiming the acquisition of forces and work streams as properties would allow quickly as possible to approved housing bodies maintain the momentum to bring social housing that exists around this issue units into use much at present,” he said.