HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS IN Ireland provided 41% of the total long-term social housing units in 2019, and took 5,000 households off the social-housing waiting list, according to the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH).

According to its Housing Association Activity Report for 2019, 10,007 social-rented homes were built, purchased and leased in 2019, and housing associations delivered more than 40% of these.

Dr Donal McManus, ICSH Chief Executive said that housing associations reached “record delivery levels” in 2019, with the highest number of homes for the sector.

“We’re confident that our member organisations have the capacity to further increase Ireland’s stock of permanent social housing over the coming years.

However, in the face of a looming Covid-19 related recession, it is important that social and affordable housing delivery is prioritised in any economic stimulus measures put in place to protect the economy and accelerate the national recovery.

“Austerity measures have a lasting and damaging impact on housing delivery. In 2013 we delivered just 211 homes (5% of our 2019 output). We cannot repeat this mistake again.”

Housing associations – also known as approved housing bodies or ‘AHBs’ – are not-for-profit organisations that aim to build and manage affordable housing. Almost 40,000 social homes are currently managed by AHBs.

The ICSH said that today’s figures demonstrate that AHBs have been delivering on, and exceeding, housing association targets in Rebuilding Ireland.

We’ve delivered almost 11,000 homes since Rebuilding Ireland was launched, and our sector’s current construction pipeline is a healthy 11,263 homes. 

“Working in partnership with local authorities across Ireland, we expect to reach our 2021 target of 15,000 social homes, even with the slow-down caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The ICSH is calling for major investment in social and affordable housing in the forthcoming programme for government and in response to an emerging recession.

The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) is the national federation for non-profit housing associations, representing approximately 270 member organisations that provide social housing. It’s members include Cluid Housing, Peter McVerry Trust, Simon Communities, Fold Ireland, Respond and Tuath Housing.

The report is available to read here.