The Housing Alliance is calling on the Government to set a clear, consistent policy and to commit to long-term funding. Following the publication of its new report, it claims that the ‘Housing for All 2.0’ plan needs to be the roadmap of how the State will deliver the committed 300,000 homes by 2030.

The essential role of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in delivering Ireland’s housing target has been highlighted in the latest report from the Housing Alliance. However, it has warned that policy shifts or short-term funding commitments will risk undermining delivery.

The report ‘The essential impact of Ireland’s Approved Housing Bodies: Delivering homes. Securing Futures’ shows that in 2023 and 2024 alone, Housing Alliance members delivered 10,000 social homes and more than 1,500 cost rental homes.

The Housing Alliance is a collaboration of Ireland’s seven largest AHBs who together own or manage more than 50,000 homes for more than 120,000 people. Members currently deliver around half of all new social homes and a significant share of cost rental homes. They now have firm plans in place to deliver another 26,000 homes by the end of 2028, which will provide homes for almost 70,000 people.

Commenting on the need for stability to deliver this ambitious pipeline, Kieron Brennan, Vice-Chair of the Housing Alliance and CEO of Co-operative Housing Ireland, said that AHBs have significantly increased their output in recent years, providing more social and cost-rental homes for people who desperately need them.

Kieron Brennan is Vice-Chair of Housing Alliance.

“We have ambitious pipelines, capacity and expertise, to deliver thousands more homes in the next five years. For this to happen, the Government must provide clear long-term policy and secure multi-annual funding. With that certainty, we can continue to deliver the homes and communities Ireland urgently needs,” he added.

Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are not-for-profit organisations that have a social purpose to meet people’s housing needs, working closely with Government, local authorities and relevant agencies. They have a proven track record of delivering social and affordable housing at scale to bolster the supply of social homes to help meet needs.

“As not-for-profit organisations, our members share a deep-rooted purpose and commitment to deliver social and cost-rental homes in the most efficient and cost-effective manner,” he noted.

“With more than 26,000 additional homes in our pipeline to 2028, the sector is ready and able to continue delivering at scale. However, certainty and long-term support from the Government is vital if Ireland is to meet its social housing needs.”

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