Taoiseach: Up to 30,000 affordable homes could be delivered this year
Taoiseach Micheál Martin with resident Mrs Cooke at the official opening of the 86-home development at Bishop’s Avenue, Farranferris, Cork. Picture: Alison Miles / OSM Photo
The State may be on course to deliver more than its target of 25,000 social and affordable homes this year, the Taoiseach said on Friday, as official monthly homeless figures recorded a slight drop for December – the first decrease in six months.
Focus Ireland welcomed the drop but warned that 700 more people were homeless last month than in December 2020.
It also warned there is an established seasonal trend of homelessness falling in December each year and then rising again in January, with the longer-term picture showing a very worrying increase of almost 9% in homelessness last year.
Its director of advocacy, Mike Allen, said people need to see the numbers continue to fall each month if we are to achieve the Government commitment of ending homelessness by 2030.
“The numbers had risen sharply in the six months from May to November before this drop in December. The annual drop in December seems to be due to several reasons, such as landlords not evicting people before Christmas and families also staying in untenable housing situations until the new year,” he said.
Micheál Martin, who officially opened a new social housing estate in Cork City, said the construction sector had rebounded after Covid, that there are positive signs, and “with a fair wind”, up to 30,000 homes could be delivered this year.
Providing more social and affordable housing is the Government’s “most pressing priority”, he said.
He was speaking as he met residents of the new 86-home development at Bishop’s Avenue in Farranferris, which has been delivered by the approved housing body, Tuath Housing, in partnership with Cork City Council.
Built on the former grounds of Farranferris College, the estate includes 68 three-bed houses, eight two-bed houses, and 10 three-bed bungalows. The bungalows have been built for the elderly and those with certain disabilities.
To date, 80 homes have been allocated to families from the council’s housing list.
Built by developers Citidwell, at a cost per home of €294,000, the homes were funded through a combination of private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a loan from the Department of Housing.
Tuath now has more than 1,500 residents in almost 540 homes across Cork City, with 222 more homes under way.
It is on course to deliver more than 1,400 homes countrywide this year.
Tuath chairman Daragh O’Sullivan said the estate was another fine example of what could be achieved through working with local authorities, backed by the financial support of the Government and the HFA.
The estate was officially opened as the Department of Housing released the latest monthly homeless figures, which show there were 8,914 people homeless in December, down 185 people on the previous month.
It is the first decrease in the monthly national homeless figures since last May.
The Peter McVerry Trust, the national housing and homeless charity, welcomed the slight decrease.
Chief executive Pat Doyle said December was typically one of the busiest months for the homeless sector so it was positive to see even a small drop.
“It moves us in the right direction. We need to continue to work with our partners and local authorities to deliver not only additional emergency accommodation but also long-term social housing solutions,” he said.
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