ICSH calls for publication of new housing plan as soon as possible
The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) says Budget 2026 lays the foundations for more social and cost rental housing delivery but the red tape hampering the delivery of homes by Approved Housing Bodies must also be tackled.
The Government yesterday unveiled a €2.9bn capital allocation for new social housing and second-hand acquisitions, as well as more than €560m for homeless services this year.
The ICSH, which represents approved housing bodies (AHB) or housing associations nationwide, says the budgetary moves must be accompanied by positive steps in the highly anticipated update to the Housing for All plan, currently expected to be published this month.
CEO of the ICSH Donal McManus says:
“After a year of uncertainty with delays in funding approvals that have impacted on AHB pipeline forecasts for 2025 and 2026, the capital allocation for new social housing and second-hand acquisitions is welcome.
“Coupled with an enhanced capital budget for cost rental, this has the potential to support the sector deliver on its pipeline. However, the budget commitments must be complemented by measures to streamline bureaucracy. In the new Housing for All plan, we want to see a dedicated AHB group established in the Department of Housing. This would go a long way towards ensuring that any roadblocks to delivery are identified and addressed as quickly as possible.
“AHBs must also be supported to increase the delivery of housing for older and disabled persons and be adequately funded to maintain older AHB homes and safeguard the sector’s valuable housing stock”.
Donal McManus also welcomed the added financial support for homeless services: “More than 16,000 households are currently presenting as homeless and I look forward to seeing more detail as to how this funding will be distributed, with hopefully a renewed focus on homeless prevention and Housing First”.
Members of the ICSH will be studying and discussing the details of Budget 2026 in the weeks ahead. Donal McManus says the details will be crucial:
“It is important to see the funding allocations for the individual financing streams as soon as possible as these are so essential to the delivery of homes. Especially for the delivery of supported homes and homes for the most vulnerable. Again the detail will be important, the new national housing plan, which we hope to see as soon as possible, must back up both the content of the NDP and Budget 2026, coupled with streamlined bureaucracy and a commitment to multi annual funding.”
The Irish Council for Social Housing’s National Housing Conference will get underway this day week, Wednesday October 15 at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan. Its theme will be ‘MAINTAINING MOMENTUM – Delivering Homes for All”. Full details are at www.icsh.ie
