Wexford, Ireland – Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has announced the delivery of over 10,500 new social homes and a record 7,126 affordable homes in 2024, surpassing the annual targets set under the Housing for All strategy.
Social Housing Delivery
In 2024, a total of 10,595 new social homes were delivered, comprising:
- 7,871 new-build homes
- 1,501 acquisitions
- 1,223 homes through leasing programmes
Additionally, 8,121 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) and 1,576 Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) supports were provided, bringing the total social housing supports to 20,292 for the year.
The final quarter saw a significant surge, with 5,751 new-build social homes delivered. The current pipeline includes 10,614 homes under construction and 13,996 at design and tender stages.
Minister Browne acknowledged that while the 2024 new-build social housing figure was below target, it still represented 96.5% of the 2023 delivery, a record not seen since the 1970s. He emphasized the importance of insulating social housing supply from private sector volatility and highlighted the Design & Build framework as a key initiative to expedite delivery.
Affordable Housing Achievements
The affordable housing sector also demonstrated strong performance in 2024:
- 7,126 affordable housing supports delivered, exceeding the target of 6,400.
- Over 2,550 affordable housing supports were delivered in Q4 alone, marking a 34% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Key initiatives contributing to this success include:
- First Home Scheme: Over 6,000 approvals since its launch in July 2022, with 2,851 approvals in 2024.
- Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme: 1,500 homes delivered, with an additional 2,500 homes approved for delivery.
- Cost Rental Homes: 3,860 cost rental homes delivered, with a pipeline of 1,200 approved local authority cost rental homes.
- Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant: 11,327 applications received, 7,738 approvals issued, and 1,149 grants paid out.
Minister Browne emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing housing needs through innovative and scalable solutions, ensuring that affordable housing schemes continue to operate at scale and meet the growing demand.
Social Housing Waiting Lists
The 2024 Summary of Social Housing Assessments revealed that 59,941 households were assessed as qualified for and in need of social housing support as of November 4, 2024. While this represents a slight increase from the previous year, it is important to note that there are 31,659 fewer households on the social housing waiting list compared to the first annual assessment in 2016.
Minister Browne reiterated the government’s dedication to reducing waiting lists and ensuring that every household has access to suitable and affordable housing.
For more detailed information, you can access the full report on the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage website.
Ireland Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD Picture on Flickr by European Union
