Budget measures to tackle social housing

Some very positive steps were taken in Budget 2015 to address the housing shortage and the homeless crisis.

While the biggest shortage of housing is in Dublin, there is a lack of supply around the country in general. Budget 2015 includes a range of measures to address the social housing shortage in particular. 

This will be done in three ways. Firstly, over €1.5 billion in Exchequer funding will be directly invested in housing between now and 2017.  Next year, over €800 million will be allocated for the housing programme. This is the biggest housing investment by the Government since 2009. 

Secondly, Public Private Partnerships will be used to invest €300 million in social housing units by 2017.  This will see a further 1,500 housing units built by 2017.

Finally, a new independent commercial body set up by the Government will provide at least €400 million to the Approved Housing Bodies from 2015 on wards. 

This significant investment will fund the provision of over 10,000 housing units by 2018.

An additional €10 million will be provided for accommodation and related services for homeless people. This will bring the annual spend towards tackling homelessness to €55.5 million in 2015, which is over €10 million more than the amount which was already committed.