Sunday Business Post* Sunday, 28 December 2014 Page: 5
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Expert casts doubt on social housing target
BY JACK HORGAN-JONES stLUbe a challenge to hit next ment Agency, is key to the delivery of projects under the The social housing sector yearstarSet While he welcomed the social housing plan. Sff? “'SSS&'L® *a,agy In principle, he said hit targets mandated by the the pressure on homeless services government’s flagship €3.8 is set to continue during billion social housing plan, the early years of the strategy a top policy analyst has said. It takes about two years to Simon Brooke, who is head buM a housing estate. If ou of policy at Ireland s leading start now we>re not going t0 voluntary housing body, Cluid, see any new build with ten°1(* Sunday Business Post antsinituntUtheendof2016. that the challenge is going .,-Ihemeasures ^ are put to be delivering the number of mplaceto alleviate homeless units set out in the early years ness now are short-term meaof the strategy because you sures,but the only long-term can t whip up housing out of solutlon t0 homelessness is thin air . , . , . tt *1. . more housing, and more afHe said that the delivery r , „ , , ,, ./ fordable housmg. of new build housmg units & and renovations would be a Of the 5,300 units that the particular challenge for local government has earmarked authorities, as county and city f°r delivery in 2015, some councils have had their capac- 3,000 will be leased by loity to deliver housing projects cal authorities and voluntary housing bodies from the private cut during the recession. sector. Afurtherl,000 are “In 2013, outside of Dublin City Council, the average owned by local authorities, number of new houses corn- and will benefit from extra pleted by a county council was funding for refurbishment. New local authority builds three. Local authority building has disappeared, it has come will account for 946 of the to a complete halt, ” he said. remaining units, while 440 There’s a massive amount will be new units delivered of ramping up that needs to by voluntary housing bodies. Brooke cautioned that once be done, and that means a the stock of houses to be refurbished range of different technical is exhausted, local skills need to be brought in authorities will need to bring by local authorities -it’s planning, new builds on-stream in a surveying and architects meaningful way to hit targets. that need to be ready to move Cluid is one of several quickly.” bodies set to benefit from a The social housing strategy new stream of European and aims to deliver 35,000 homes private sector money to be by 2020, with 5,300 units to administered by the Housing be built during 2015. Brooke Finance Agency. The cash, said that while there is some which is composed of €150 low-hanging fruit in the shape million from the European of units that can be quickly Investment Bank and €150 renovated or properties that million in loans raised via the housing bodies can buy, it will National Treasury Manage¬
34322 30900mm²
Sunday Business Post* Sunday, 28 December 2014 Page: 5
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34322 30900mm²