– Approved Housing Bodies Launch 2021 Housing Delivery Activity Report with 14% Increase in Annual Delivery –
Wednesday 29th June, 2022
Today, the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) will launch the Housing Association Activity Report 2021 and the Irish Council for Social Housing Strategic Plan 2022-2026. Ireland’s approved housing body (also known as housing associations) sector provided 3,792 social and cost rental homes in 2021, 41% of the national total, taking 3,727 households off the social housing waiting list. 75% of AHB delivery in 2021 were new build homes, 10% were acquisitions and 14% were leased homes. In total, 9,183 social homes were delivered in partnership by local authorities and AHBs in 2021.
Dr. Donal McManus, ICSH Chief Executive stated: “This is the second highest housing delivery figure to date for the AHB sector and demonstrates how the sector has bounced back after 2020. This really exemplifies the dedication of our members, who have delivered more homes for those in greatest need despite the many obstacles that COVID-19 and supply chain issues in the construction sector presented for the residential construction sector and housing providers. 2,867 new build homes were delivered by AHBs in 2021. 2021 was also the first year for cost rental delivery, with 65 homes delivered. However the pace has increased, with almost 250 affordable rental homes for middle income households completed to date (mid-2022)”.
Speaking at the launch of the Housing Association Activity Report 2021 and the Irish Council for Social Housing Strategic Plan 2022-2026, Pat Doyle (ICSH President, CEO Peter McVerry Trust) said: “Housing for All, launched in September 2021, set out clear and challenging targets for AHBs to provide between 40% and 50% of total social housing delivery annually, and we’ve been hitting those targets now for a number of years. Peter McVerry Trust, as a member of the ICSH, is particularly proud of the AHB sector’s role in supporting tenants with special or additional needs; our organisation played a major part in the provision and support of the 756 Housing First tenancies identified in the 2021 activity report. Developing national programmes for homeless individuals, as well as supports for older and disabled people, is also one of the key objectives in the ICSH AHB Sector Strategic Plan 2022-2026 being launched today.”
Tina Donaghy (ICSH Vice-President, Director of Development Fold Housing) added: “While we are proud of what we have delivered to date, we will continue to be ambitious. As our Strategic Plan outlines, we are aiming to double the number of homes under AHB management by 2030. However, continuing to exceed expectations in terms of housing delivery is not without its challenges. The current inflationary pressures, coupled with sectoral specific construction material supply issues and labour force shortages look set to become medium-term issues rather than short term concerns. We will continue to rise to these challenges and continue delivering homes for those who so desperately need them.
Approved Housing Body Activity in 2021
- AHBs delivered 41% of all long-term social housing in 2021.
- AHBs increased their output from 3,312 homes in 2020 to 3,792 homes in 2021 (14% increase).
- The 3,792 delivered in 2021 exceeds the combined five-year AHB delivery from 2012-2016.
- 9,183 social homes were delivered in total by local authorities and AHBs in 2021. AHBs delivered 55% of the total new build homes, 31% of acquisitions and 20% of the leased total.
- Of the 535 AHB leased homes, 186 were Mortgage to Rent.
- 756 tenancies were created under Housing First by end of 2021, with several AHBs playing a key role in delivery.
- 98.7% of rent owed by AHB tenants was collected and 2.8% of rent from current tenancies was in arrears in 2021, as reported in the ICSH Housing Association Performance Management (HAPM) Report 2021.
ENDS
- The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) is the national federation for non-profit housing associations, representing more than 270 member organisations that provide social housing. The sector manages over 50,000 homes for families on a low income, older people, disabled people and households experiencing homelessness in over 900 communities throughout Ireland.
- Almost 250 cost rental homes have been completed to date (mid-2022), with a pipeline of 900 cost rental homes due to be delivered from 2021-2023 by AHBs, the Land Development Agency and local authorities.
- The AHB sector is well-regulated and has a major role to play in future affordable rental housing delivery. Pat Doyle (ICSH President, CEO Peter McVerry Trust) and Tina Donaghy (ICSH Vice-President, Director of Development Fold Housing) presented to the Oireachtas Housing Committee yesterday on behalf of the ICSH on the impact of construction price inflation on AHB housing delivery. Key issues raised included that unit cost ceilings (UCCs) for social and cost rental housing be kept under regular review so that a lag does not develop between the ceilings and actual costs. In addition, AHBs have been successfully developing modular housing for families and single persons and this has improved the speed of delivery. A greater market for this type of delivery has obvious advantages and opportunities for new skills and training. AHBs have also been witnessing issues emerging with small and medium sized builders with cash flow issues arising through the increasing cost of loan finance. Provision and assembly of land is still a central underlying factor for AHBs being able to meet the Housing for All targets of 40-50% of total social housing delivery as well as the cost rental programme, and more work should be undertaken in this area.
- The Housing Association Activity Report 2021 and the Irish Council for Social Housing Strategic Plan 2022-2026 can be downloaded at www.icsh.ie
