€60m to be spent on new social housing to combat crisis
MORE than €60m is to be spent on social housing in a plan to provide accommodation for elderly, disabled and homeless people.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly pledged that the investment will have a significant impact on the housing crisis in the "short term".
Under the plan, 344 additional units will be added to the capital's social housing stock by the end of 2017 through a combination of acquisitions and new-builds by the four local authorities in conjunction with a number of housing organisations.
The funding will be provided by Mr Kelly's department under a new capital assistance scheme that will provide almost 1,100 social housing units across the country at a total cost of €151m.
Mr Kelly said that a previous government announcement of more than 1,700 housing units was "a good start but more would be needed".
"It's significant, therefore, that we are now announcing a major delivery programme for the Approved Housing Body (AHB) sector, with over 1,000 new social housing units to cater in particular for the elderly, persons with a disability and homeless persons," he added.
Of the new housing to be delivered in the capital, 141 units will be in the Dublin City local authority area alone.
This comprises of 85 units to be constructed and a further 56 existing units bought and refurbished at a cost of €24.8m.
Dublin City Council is working with AHB's such as NABCO, Respond! and the Tuath Housing Association to construct new units.
The Government said the purpose of giving the units to AHBs will be to meet the specific needs of elderly people and the homeless.
cost
The Dun Laoghaire Rathdown council area will get the next highest amount of funding, receiving €18.3m to provide 87 social housing units.
Rosemount Court, a street in Blackrock will have the most new social housing units of anywhere in Dublin, with 44 refurbished homes to be provided at a cost of €10.5m.
Fingal County Council will provide 69 units at a cost of €12.9m. Meanwhile, South Dublin County Council will get more than €5.6m for 47 social housing units.
According to Mr Kelly's Department, the majority of acquisitions are scheduled to be delivered in the short term.
Larger scale construction proposals are set to be completed by the end 2017.