PQ Response- Affordable Purchase Home Delivery on non-local authority sites

For Written Answer on : 24/03/2021
Question Number(s): 643 Question Reference(s): 14358/21
Department: Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Asked by: Eoin Ó Broin T.D.

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the discussions taking place between his Department and the Land Development Agency on the delivery of affordable purchase homes on non-local authority sites; if the serviced sites fund will be extended to non-local Government sites; and if another form of equity stake including a Land Development Agency equity stake is being considered in order to provide homes at a discount of full development costs.

REPLY

The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of the Land Development Agency Bill 2021. 

My Department regularly engages with the LDA to discuss its work programme, including the delivery of affordable housing.  The LDA will deliver affordable housing units, including affordable purchase, on its initial portfolio of public lands but the exact housing mix will not be finalised until planning permission is granted for each site.  The General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill was published in January and provides the mechanism for the LDA to make affordable purchase homes available.   This will take account of the provisions in relation to affordable housing set out in Part 9 of the Land Development Agency Bill 2021.

The Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), in its current form, assists in the delivery of affordable homes on local authority land. Local authorities can work on SSF projects in conjunction with the LDA regarding affordable housing, such as is currently happening on the project in Shanganagh.  Section 14 of the LDA Bill provides that local authorities may request the LDA to provide services to it in relation to the development of sites for housing and urban development. This type of arrangement sees the local authority authorising the LDA to develop affordable housing on a parcel of its land. The project is planned and managed by the LDA, who in turn contracts a developer to build the new homes on the local authority's behalf.

SSF funding can be applied for and utilised for such developments for enabling public infrastructure by the relevant local authority to my Department.   It is not currently provided that SSF funding can be provided for lands other than local authority lands.   In accordance with the Programme for Government commitment to extend the SSF, a review of the SSF is currently ongoing.