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Housing for All Updates
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On 14 December 2021, the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 became law. The Act gives legislative underpinning to guidelines aimed at ensuring new houses and duplex units in housing developments are not bulk-purchased by commercial institutional investors in a way that causes displacement of individual purchasers and/or social and affordable housing.
On 11 December, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2021 became law. The Act addresses long-term security of tenure by introducing tenancies of unlimited duration. This means that after six months’ duration, new tenancies will be established for an unlimited duration and not subject to expiry at the end of a six-year term, at the discretion of the landlord.
The Local Authority Home Loan has been revised and expanded. The regulations were signed by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 9 December 2021. A key improvement of the new revised home loan is an increase to the income ceiling for single applicants by €15,000 to €65,000 in counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow. In addition, the interest rate has been reduced by 0.25%.
A National Homeless Action Committee was established. It held its first meeting on 20 December 2021. The committee is chaired by Minister O’Brien and comprises of Government departments, State agencies and key stakeholders (including NGOs). It will oversee implementation of inter-agency measures committed to under Housing for All, including accelerating the delivery of new supports. It will also aim to ensure coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions.
The Housing First National Implementation Plan for 2022-2026 was launched on 20 December 2021. 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.
On 12 July 2021, a pilot version of the preferential Caravan Loan scheme commenced in four local authority areas. The scheme has the potential to make an immediate and hugely significant improvement to living conditions on halting sites. The pilot is being reviewed with the intention to roll it out nationally during 2022. Funding has been secured for the full roll-out in Budget 2022 with €3 million being made available.
On 14 December 2021 the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Act 2021 became law. The Act replaces Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) with a new planning process for Large Scale Residential Developments (LRDs) and restores planning decision-making to local authorities. The Act provides greater clarity, with mandatory timelines, to streamline the overall decision-making process. It provides greater transparency with improved public participation in the process.
A Planning Advisory Forum has been established. It held its first meeting on 14 December 2021. The Forum’s primary aim is to advise the Minister on the evolving policy and legal agenda relating to planning matters. The Forum will also input into the comprehensive review and consolidation of planning legislation that is being led by the Office of the Attorney General. The Forum is chaired by Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD. It is comprised of representatives from a broad range of sectors, including the public sector, business, environmental, social and knowledge based sectors.
A Commission on Housing was established. It held its first meet on 12 January 2022. The Commission is tasked with examining issues such as sustainability, affordability and the need for regulation of social housing. It is planned that the Commission will also bring forward proposals on a referendum on housing. It is envisaged that the Commission will take a trans-governmental and enduring approach towards housing policy, and will play a role in the State achieving good quality, affordable homes for all. The Commission is chaired by Mr. John O’Connor and brings together experts from various housing related sectors.
Over 200 new staff for Local Authority housing delivery teams were approved by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, in December 2021. These posts will increase the capacity of local authorities to initiate, manage and deliver new build housing schemes.
On 22 December 2021, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, published the General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones’ Bill. The Bill proposes that communities get a greater share of increases in land value arising from local authority planning decisions and public investment in infrastructure. Communities will benefit from the ‘uplift’ in value through funding for essential infrastructure and social and affordable housing where appropriate.
The concept of Urban Development Zones is based on the existing Strategic Development Zones. They will involve a plan-led approach that must include a planning and delivery scheme, a key decision-making role for the local authority and early engagement with the local community and landowners.
The Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2021 was published on 12 January 2021. Once implemented, the legislation will require all entities providing building services to register with the Construction Industry Register Ireland. The legislation will put the register on a statutory footing.
The Bill aims to benefit consumers and the general public by giving those who engage a registered builder the assurance that they are dealing with a competent and compliant operator. It is expected to help develop and promote a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with building regulations. It is envisaged that builders will be able to begin registering in 2023 and statutory registration will commence in early 2024.
The Finance Act 2021 became law on 21 December 2021. The Act extends the Help to Buy scheme in its current enhanced form for a further year to the end of 2022. The Help to Buy scheme helps first-time property purchasers to purchase or self-build a new house or apartment. The scheme will be reviewed in the course of 2022.
A revised Mortgage to Rent Scheme was launched on 24 January 2022. A number of improvements have been made to the scheme. The positive equity limit will increase to better align with the range of house prices across the regions. Purchase price thresholds for properties have been updated. There is also additional flexibility in terms of the number of bedrooms allowable in a home for borrowers aged 65 and over, or where the borrower has a disability and the property has had to be adapted (or is already suitable).
The Government has published Town Centre First – A Policy Approach for Irish Towns. The policy aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into 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 Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has approved the standards for Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). The standards for AHBs have been developed following engagement with the sector and a wide range of key stakeholders. They establish a set of outcomes that AHBs are required to achieve in order to demonstrate the protection of housing assets provided or managed by AHBs.
Approved Housing Bodies are independent, not-for-profit organisations who, alongside Local Authorities, provide housing for people on the social housing waiting list or for particular groups, such as older people or homeless people.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, has signed Planning Regulations that will exempt the conversion of former pubs into residential units from requiring planning permission. The new exemption is contained in an extension of 2018 Planning Regulations that allow a change of use of certain vacant commercial premises to residential use. This includes vacant areas above ground-floor premises, such as ‘above shop’ living. The exemptions aim to increase the re-use of vacant commercial buildings to increase much-needed housing supply and renew urban areas.
The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, TD, published updated Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) guidelines on 10 March 2022. The updated guidelines address some of the weaknesses in the SEA process. The guidelines will help local authorities integrate environmental issues into Development Plans and contribute towards achieving national and international sustainable development goals.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, and the Chief Executive of The Housing Agency, Bob Jordan, have 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.
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
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