Housing for All Updates

The Residential Construction Cost Study Report, a joint initiative of the Construction Sector Group and the government under the Housing for All strategy has been published. The study promotes measures for a reduction in residential construction cost and increased standardisation in residential construction activities.

Read more in the Report on the Analysis of Skills for Residential Construction

On 22 March 2022, the government announced changes to the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) funding model, the main funding scheme used by the Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) sector to provide social housing. The changes will address the challenges faced by the sector in accessing income to build social houses, particularly in rural towns and villages.

Funding approval applications for thousands of AHB-provided homes are expected to follow for areas where AHB-provided schemes were previously less viable.

Read more about the changes to the Capital Advance Leasing Facility

On 7 March 2023, the government announced additional measures to increase the supply of social homes to coincide with the phasing out of the winter eviction ban in accordance with the terms of the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022.

This Act provided for a stay on eviction notices for the period up to 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023.

Read more about the additional measures to increase supply of social homes

Since 01 March 2023, the limits of prices of homes eligible for a Local Authority Home Loan and income limits of those eligible to apply for a loan have increased. This means more people, across all Local Authorities, will be eligible for a State backed mortgage. Supporting home ownership is a key objective for the government and the increase in house price limits, coupled with the increase in income limits, will result in more people buying their own home.

Read more about the improvements to the Local Authority Home Loan

On 30 January 2023, a new Vacant Homes Action Plan and a new €150 million fund for local authorities to tackle vacancy and dereliction to support the plan was launched. The fund and plan build on ongoing work to tackle vacancy and dereliction and bring vacant properties into re-use for housing.

The Vacant Homes Action Plan outlines progress in implementing actions relating to vacancy and efficient use of existing stock contained in Housing for All, the government’s housing plan to 2030. The plan also supports people to buy, lease or sell vacant property, or convert vacant commercial property into homes.

Read more about the Vacant Homes Action Plan 2023-2026 and new URDF vacancy fund

On 26 January 2023, the Draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was published bringing an improved planning regime a step closer.

The Bill, if enacted, will bring greater clarity, consistency and certainty to how planning decisions are made. It will make the planning system more coherent and user-friendly for the public and planning practitioners.

Read more about the improved planning regime

On 18 January 2023, the government gave approval for the drafting of legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes with fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The legislation will provide a statutory basis for the establishment of a remediation scheme aimed at protecting the safety and welfare of those living in apartments or duplexes with such defects that occurred during construction.

Read more on defects scheme for apartments and duplexes

On 1 January 2023, the government announced that new income eligibility limits for social housing have taken effect.

From 1 January 2023, social housing income eligibility thresholds in Local Authorities across the country have been increased by €5,000.

Read more on eligibility limits for social housing

On 15 November 2022, the expanded Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched.

The expanded grant now includes eligible vacant properties in both cities and more remote rural areas (in addition to those in towns and villages, which have been eligible since July). The scheme’s expansion will help bring vacant and derelict properties back into residential use and ensure the existing housing stock is used to the fullest extent possible. It will also help limit emissions from residential construction and add vibrancy to Ireland’s cities and rural areas.

Under the Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, €30,000 is available to homebuyers to refurbish a home which they will live in. Where a property is derelict, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 will be available, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €50,000. The grants can also be combined with the SEAI Better Energy Home Scheme that covers works of up to €26,750.

Read more about the vacant property refurbishment grant

On 9 November 2022, the Youth Homelessness Strategy 2023-2025 was launched. The first Youth Homelessness Strategy in two decades, it sets out 27 distinct actions to prevent young people entering homelessness, to improve the experiences of young people in emergency accommodation and to assist young people to exit homelessness.

Read more about the Youth Homelessness Strategy

On 1 November 2022, local authorities published the Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Maps as part of the implementation of the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT).

The RZLT measure is an important component of the pathway to increasing new housing supply, contained in the government’s Housing for All plan to 2030.

The aim of the tax, which will apply from 2024 to relevant land at a rate of 3% of market value, is to activate land for residential development throughout the country, rather than to raise revenue. Only an estimated one-sixth of residential zoned land is activated for housing during a local authority’s 6-year Development Plan.

Read more about the residential zoned land tax (RZLT)

On 27 September 2022, significant ongoing investment in housing, local government and heritage was announced, as Department of Housing ministers unveiled a budget package for 2023 of €6.3 billion. Housing for All, the government’s national housing plan, will receive continued record investment in 2023 with more than €4 billion in funding for housing.

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, also announced a number of significant housing measures under Budget 2023:

• the Help-to-Buy scheme has been extended, at current rates, until the end of 2024
• the government is introducing a new rent tax credit valued at €500 per year
• the pre-letting expenses regime for landlords has been enhanced
• the government is introducing a Vacant Homes Tax to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase, to meet demand.

Read more on the housing measure under Budget 2023

On 21 September 2022, Ministers announced the ‘Ready to Build’ Scheme. The scheme, which will be funded under the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund, will see local authorities make available serviced sites (that is, sites with the necessary infrastructure such as electricity, water and wastewater) in towns and villages to potential purchasers who wish to build their own home.

The sites will be sold at a discounted rate of up to €30,000 from the market value. The discount will be determined by the cost of servicing the site.

Many areas in towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant and undeveloped sites, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy to those communities. The scheme fulfils a commitment in the government’s Housing for All plan, and supports the Our Rural Future policy and the recently published Town Centre First policy, which aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.

Read more on the Ready to Build Scheme

On 7 July 2022, First Home, a new scheme, was set up to make it easier for First-Time Buyers to afford a new build home as part of the government’s Housing for All plan, opened for applications. The €400 million affordable purchase scheme has been designed in conjunction with mortgage providers and Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). It aims to bridge an existing affordability gap by providing buyers with part of the purchase price for their home, in return for the scheme taking a minority equity stake.

The maximum stake that the scheme will take is 20 per cent, if the buyer is also availing of the government’s separate Help to Buy scheme, and 30pc if Help to Buy is not used. The scheme is available initially to first-time buyers and other qualifying homebuyers who are taking out mortgages from AIB (including its EBS and Haven Mortgages businesses), Bank of Ireland or Permanent TSB. Other mortgage providers may join the scheme in the coming months. It is open to buyers of newly-built houses and apartments in private developments. Applications can be made today online at www.firsthomescheme.ie.

Read more on the First Home scheme

On 10 May 2022, Minister O’Brien, and the Chief Executive of The Housing Agency, Bob Jordan, launched a call for Expressions of Interest in the Government’s proposed Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme. The Scheme aims to increase supply of owner-occupier apartments and provide those who wish to purchase a home with a greater choice. It is expected to deliver up to 5,000 additional apartments for individuals seeking to buy a home in the five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

It will also support the government’s objectives of compact growth and creating vibrant liveable cities for people who want to live close to work and urban amenities.

Under the proposed scheme a viability fund will help kick-start construction of apartment schemes. The Scheme will bridge the viability gap for those developments deemed to meet the eligibility criteria and the support is only payable at the point of sale to an eligible owner-occupier. The Government has allocated €450 million for the Scheme up to 2026.

Read more on the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme

On 4 February 2022, the government published Town Centre First – a major new policy that aims to:

• tackle vacancy
• combat dereliction
• breathe new life into our town centres.

Town Centre First contains 33 unique actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business.

The policy is underpinned by multi-billion euro investment spread across major government schemes such as the:

• Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF)
• Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF)
• Croí Conaithe (Towns) Fund
• Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Read more on the Town Centre First Policy

As of 08 December 2022, Mortgage to Rent (MTR) applications approved across the country have passed the 2,000-mark milestone since the scheme’s commencement. Minister O’Brien has urged anybody who is at risk of losing their home to consider the scheme and also engage with the other government supports and advice available.

Mortgage to Rent helps people who are at risk of losing their homes due to mortgage arrears. The 2,000 cases completed to date (since the scheme commenced in 2012) are benefitting 5,910 people (3,249 adults and 2,661 children).

For further information on Mortgage to Rent and to see if you qualify

On 14 January 2022, the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 was launched.

The strategy sets out the government’s vision for delivering housing and related supports for disabled people and has been developed by the:

• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Department of Health
• Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Read more about the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People

On 20 December 2021, the Housing First National Implementation Plan for 2022-2026 was launched. The Housing First programme provides those people with a history of rough sleeping, or long-term use of emergency accommodation, and who have complex needs, with a home for life with key wraparound health and social supports. The Plan will provide 1,319 new supported tenancies and wrap-around supports to keep tenants in their homes.

Read more about Housing First