Press release originally issued by Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 17th November 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Friday November 17th 2023

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD has announced the approval of another proposal under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme, for the development of 274 apartments in Blackrock Villas, Cork. This development is the third one to be approved under this scheme and it is the second one in Co. Cork.

Under the scheme to date, contracts have been signed for:

• The delivery of 53 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Woodward Court, Glencairn, Murphystown Way, Dublin 18 which is being developed by Park Developments
• The delivery of 68 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Castletreasure/Maryborough, Carr’s Hill/Carrigaline Road, Douglas, Cork which is being developed by Cairn Homes
• The delivery of 274 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Blackrock Villas, Blackrock, Cork which is being developed by Glenveagh

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports building 5,000 apartments for sale to owner-occupiers up to 2026. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). The Scheme is targeted principally at activating planning permissions already in place for such homes.

The Scheme launched in May 2022 with an Expressions of Interest process, which is being managed and administered by the Housing Agency on behalf of the Department.

The development at Woodward Court, Glencairn, Murphystown Way, Dublin 18 comprises 53 apartments with a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments.

The development of 68 apartment at Carr’s Hill, Carrigaline Road, Douglas, Cork will comprise 68 apartments with a mix of 1 and 2 bed apartments.

The development at Blackrock Villas, Blackrock, Cork will comprise 274 apartments with a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments.

The Housing Agency are continuing to appraise additional proposals that have been received in the first and second calls for expressions of interest under the Scheme.

Commenting Minister O’Brien said:

“This is the third proposal under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme which I have approved and a clear indication of the Government’s commitment to address the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price.

“I’d like to commend those developers who have engaged with the scheme at an early stage. Their foresight and willingness to embrace this new approach is very much welcome.

“We want to increase the supply of urban, owner-occupier apartments and provide those who wish to purchase a home with a greater choice. Giving people the opportunity to buy a home in our cities will help make them more vibrant. I look forward to making further announcements in relation to other proposals in the near future.”

The Housing Agency’s Chief Executive, Bob Jordan, said:

“Under the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme, The Housing Agency is working to increase the supply of new apartments for home purchasers. In addition to increasing supply, the scheme will also help deliver more sustainable places to live in our urban centres.”

ENDS

Additional information can be found at https://www.housingagency.ie/CroiConaitheCities .

The Housing Agency presents a webinar intended to assist users of the portal "Expression of Interest - Defective Apartments and Duplexes (1991-2013)".

The one-hour webinar will take place at 7pm on Monday, 13 November 2023.

Questions may be emailed in advance to MUD@housingagency.ie. 

Registration is free of charge via this Zoom link https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rHFLeLz1TnemPUqd2zZ6LQ#/registration

The portal is accessible at Expression of Interest - Defective Apartments and Duplexes (1991-2013) (zohopublic.eu). Attention is drawn to the Conditions of Use, and Freedom of Information note, appearing on the home page of the portal.

The session will be recorded for future use. Places are limited to 1,000 attendees on a first-come first-served basis. By registering for this webinar you consent for the purposes of event management to the processing by The Housing Agency of your personal data (name and email address).

Disclaimer:

Information provided during the webinar is general in nature. It should not be considered to amount to legal advice, and no reliance should be placed on it. The Housing Agency speakers cannot be held responsible for actions or failure to act on foot of the information provided. There may be other issues or circumstances that would influence the comments provided. Professional advice might be necessary on individual circumstances.

To register your interest in attending the next Tenant Engagement Workshop please complete your information at the following link - register your interest.

Tenant engagement is an important part of international best practice in the delivery of housing & housing services. It includes activities ranging from the effective distribution of information among tenants, through to the involvement of tenants in housing management, governance, and ownership.

International research has demonstrated the benefits that accrue from tenant engagement policies, both for tenants and housing providers. In Ireland, tenant engagement is a growing field. Some housing providers have invested in dedicated tenant engagement teams, but the principles and practices of tenant engagement are of relevance to all those working in housing delivery and management.

The Housing Agency is collaborating with Supporting Communities, Northern Ireland’s Independent Tenant Organisation, to deliver a half-day workshop for Irish housing practitioners working in roles involving tenant engagement practice. The workshop will allow participants to learn about what tenant engagement involves and how they can contribute to the practice in their own work. Topics such as organisational culture and it’s importance to tenant engagement practices, and examples of good practice examples are also included in the training.

Please note that this workshop is a repeat of the workshop delivered in July 2021 and October 2022.

This workshop is aimed at housing practitioners working in roles that involve tenant engagement practices, who are relatively new to those practices and / or have not participated in a previous Tenant Engagement workshops delivered by The Housing Agency in 2021 & 2022.

How do I sign up?

The workshop is free, but places are limited. Participants should be housing practitioners working in roles that involve tenant engagement practices who have not participated in a previous Tenant Engagement workshop delivered by The Housing Agency.

To attend a session, please reserve your place by Monday 6th November 2023 for the session on 9th November, or by Monday 13th November 2023 for the session on 16th November.

Registered participants will receive a Zoom meeting link in advance of their chosen session.

For further information please contact training@housingagency.ie.

Multi-unit developments (MUDs) are estates where an owners’ management company, or OMC for short, is responsible for maintaining shared facilities such as gardens, amenity spaces, halls, corridors, and parking. These managed estates are often apartment buildings or duplexes. They can also be townhouses or stand-alone houses that share common facilities. The quality and the sustainability of the built environment enjoyed by these communities rely on well-run OMCs.

With the increasing number of apartments across the country, The Housing Agency is holding evening information meetings for stakeholders, including residents, owners, and directors of OMCs.

The meetings will cover:

• Challenges faced by OMCs & managed estates
• Roles and responsibilities
• Resources available
   

Events will be held at:

Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan - Tuesday, 10 October 2023

Carlton Hotel, Blanchardstown - Thursday, 12 October 2023

South Court Hotel, Limerick - Tuesday, 24 October 2023

Clayton Hotel, Galway - Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Cork International Hotel, Airport Business Park - Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Attendance places, while free of charge, are limited.  Registration is required.

Please register by clicking on your preferred location above, through Eventbrite, or by email to MUD@housingagency.ie.

Evening Programme

6:45pm     Registration (tea/coffee provided)
7pm          Presentation from The Housing Agency
7:45pm     Q&A
8:30pm     Closes

Information and resources for OMCs and MUDs are available on the Agency’s website.

Information in relation to the remediation of defects in apartments and duplexes is available here.

Previous outreach events took place in:

• Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone | 28 November 2022
• Glenroyal Hotel & Leisure Club, Maynooth | 22 November 2022
• Boyne Valley Hotel & Country Club, Drogheda | 15 November 2022
• Chartered Accountants House, Dublin 2 | 8 November 2022
• Clayton Hotel, Sligo | 25 October 2022
• Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan | 4 March 2020
• Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick | 26 February 2020
• Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork | 19 February 2020
• Lord Bagenal, Leighlinbridge | 12 February 2020
• Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport | 5 February 2020
• Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin | 29 January 2020
• Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown | 15 January 2020
• Clayton Hotel, Galway | 4 December 2019
• Nuremore Hotel, Carrickmacross | 27 November 2019

The Housing Agency's Leadership In Housing Conference takes place on September 29th in the Hibernia Conference Centre, Dublin Castle from 8.30am - 2pm. 

The Conference will bring together senior housing professionals working across the sector to network and engage with expert speakers. Attendees will hear from inspiring and motivating experts in leadership from Ireland and abroad. 

You can view the conference programme and speaker biographies at this link: Conference Programme

The Housing Agency presents a lunchtime webinar intended to provide insights into practical energy cost saving measures for multi-unit developments, and owners’ management companies. 

This event will be of interest to a wide audience- owners’ management companies, Approved Housing Bodies, property professionals, residents, local authority personnel, and other stakeholders in the multi-unit developments sector. 

Speakers

• Kate Joyce, Head of Sustainability and Strategic Projects, Túath Housing
• Nick Sheward, Director of Property Services, Túath Housing
• Alan Kavanagh, Managing Director Operations, IRES REIT Plc

Kate Joyce

Kate Joyce is Head of Sustainability and Strategic Projects with Túath Housing.  Kate has over 18 years’ experience across the property, investment, and asset management sectors.  She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, TU Dublin, and DCU.  Kate is an Associate Member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), holds a professional qualification in project management, and recently completed a master’s degree in public policy.

Nick Sheward

Nick Sheward is Director of Property Services with Túath Housing.  Nick has almost 35 years’ experience in construction and property, mainly in roles relating specifically to the provision and management of social and affordable housing.  He plays a leading role in the delivery of property services to Túath’s housing stock.  This includes building up investment profiles, managing planned and cyclical programmes, and the delivery of a responsive repairs service.

Alan Kavanagh

Alan Kavanagh is Managing Director Operations with IRES REIT Plc, a provider of almost 4,000 private rented homes in Dublin and Cork.  Alan has held senior roles in the property and facilities management industry.  Alan is a member of The Institute of Directors, and a graduate of TU Dublin.

The webinar will take place at 12.30pm on Wednesday, 4 October 2023.

Registration is free of charge via this Zoom link - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EVlqwYVxS8SFuBLUWjjuvA

Questions may be emailed to MUD@housingagency.ie

The session will be recorded for future use.

Places are limited to 1,000 attendees on a first-come first-served basis.

By registering for this webinar you consent for the purposes of event management to the processing by The Housing Agency of your personal data (name and email address).

Disclaimer

Information provided during the webinar is general in nature. It should not be considered to amount to legal advice, and no reliance should be placed on it. The Housing Agency and webinar speakers cannot be held responsible for actions or failure to act on foot of the information provided. There may be other issues or circumstances that would influence the comments provided. Professional advice might be necessary on individual circumstances.

Today, September 13th, the Supports Guide for Young People was launched by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien at the National Homeless Action Committee. 

Background

The Youth Homelessness Strategy was launched in November 2022. This is the first Youth Homelessness Strategy in two decades and it sets out 27 distinct actions to prevent young people entering homelessness, to improve the experiences of young people in emergency accommodation and to assist young people to exit homelessness.

When the Strategy was being developed, a lot of people raised the issue of young people being unaware of exactly what supports were out there for them.

Action 27 tasks The Housing Agency with producing a guide setting out supports available for young people. This guide seeks to address this concern and intends to be a useful resource which is easily accessible to all.

The Supports Guide for Young People brings together information on accessing a range of supports and services including:

• Social Welfare and Financial Supports
• Housing Options
• Employment and Education Supports
• Health and Childcare Supports

Note on Homelessness:

If you are homeless, rough sleeping or at risk of becoming homeless, you need to contact your local authority office. Depending on your location and your circumstances, different support services may be available to you. These include emergency accommodation and temporary accommodation, as well as family hubs.

The Supports Guide for Young People is available in English and Irish and there is also an Easy-to-Read version. Additionally, there is a directory of all the supports and services that are included in the guide as well as additional supports and services that are available nationally.

Supports Guide for Young People

• Supports Guide for Young People
• Supports Guide for Young People - Easy-to-Read
• Supports Guide for Young People - Irish

Service Directory

• List of Support Services Directory
• Local Authority Directory 

You can find the guide above, or on our Publications webpage here Supports Guide for Young People

Why and how governments intervene in land markets; land value tax; public land leasing; and inclusionary zoning are just some of the topics set to feature in a new series of talks organised by The Housing Agency, The Land Development Agency, and the Geary Institute of Public Policy, UCD.

“Talking about Land” is a series of seven talks which will examine how governments in other countries intervene in the management of state lands and land markets to ensure there is adequate affordable housing supply. International experts will share their experiences with Irish practitioners and explore how they can apply their practices to an Irish context.  Each event will see an international speaker sharing a case study of land management in their respective country, followed by a speaker working in housing and land management in Ireland. 

The events will take place at 12pm on Tuesdays between early October and February 2023. The full programme is as follows:

The first session took place on Tuesday 4 October, 2022, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included Prof. Julie Lawson of RMIT University Melbourne, and Prof. Michelle Norris, Director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD. If you would like to rewatch the first session visit our YouTube channel. 

The second session took place on Tuesday 18 October, 2022, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included Silvia Hofer, Wohnfonds Wien and Niall Cussen, Office of the Planning Regulator. If you would like to rewatch the second session visit our YouTube channel. 

The third session took place on Tuesday 1 November, 2022, 12pm-1pm Speakers included Sami Haapanen, Helsinki City Council and Tom O'Donnell, Self-Organised Architecture Ireland. If you would like to rewatch the third session visit our YouTube channel. 

The fourth session took place on Tuesday 15 November, 2022, 12pm-1pm.  Speakers included Benjamin Davy, University of Johannesburg and Dearbhla Lawson, Land Development Agency. If you would like to rewatch the fourth session visit our YouTube channel. 

The fifth session took place on Tuesday 17 January, 2023, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included Professor Tony Crook, University of Sheffield and Damian Thomas, NESC.  If you would like to rewatch the fifth session visit our YouTube channel. 

The sixth session took place on Tuesday, 24 January, 2023, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included  Dr. Fabian Wenner (University of Munich) and Dr. Ronan Lyons (Trinity College Dublin). If you would like to rewatch the sixth session visit our YouTube channel. 

The seventh, and final session in the series took place on Tuesday, 7 February, 2023, 12pm-1pm. Speakers included John Wacher (Greater London Authority) and Daniel McLoughlin (South Dublin County Council). If you would like to rewatch the seventh session visit our YouTube channel. 

If you have any questions about the series, please contact training@housingagency.ie.

Multi-unit developments (MUDs) are estates where an owners’ management company, or OMC for short, is responsible for maintaining shared facilities such as gardens, amenity spaces, halls, corridors, and parking. These managed estates are often apartment buildings or duplexes, but they can also be townhouses or stand-alone houses that share common facilities. These communities rely on OMCs for them to be successful and sustainable.

With the increasing number of apartments, MUDs, and OMCs across the country, The Housing Agency is holding evening information meetings for stakeholders, including residents, owners, and directors of OMCs.

The meetings will cover:

• Challenges faced by OMCs & managed estates
• Roles and responsibilities
• Resources available
   

Events will be held at:

Clayton Hotel, Sligo
Tuesday, 25 October

Chartered Accountants Ireland, Dublin 2
Tuesday, 8 November

Boyne Valley Hotel & Country Club, Drogheda
Tuesday, 15 November

Glenroyal Hotel & Leisure Club, Maynooth
Tuesday, 22 November

Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone
Monday, 28 November

Attendance is free of charge, but registration is required.

Please register by clicking on your preferred location above, through Eventbrite, or by email to MUD@housingagency.ie.

Evening Programme

6:45pm     Registration (tea/coffee provided)
7pm          Presentation from the Housing Agency
7:30pm     Open forum
8:30pm     Closes

Information and Resources on OMCs and MUDs

Previous events in the series took place in:

• Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown Town Centre, Dublin | Wednesday 15 January 2020
• Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin | Wednesday 29 January 2020
• Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport | Wednesday 5 February 2020
• Lord Bagenal, Leighlinbridge, Carlow | Wednesday 12 February 2020
• Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork | Wednesday 19 February 2020
• Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick | Wednesday 26 February 2020
• Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, Dublin | Wednesday 4 March 2020

To register your interest in attending the next Tenant Engagement Workshop please complete your information at the following link - register your interest.

Tenant engagement is an important part of international best practice in social housing policy. It includes activities ranging from the effective distribution of information among tenants, through to the involvement of tenants in housing management, governance, and ownership.

International research has demonstrated the benefits that accrue from tenant engagement policies, both for tenants and social housing providers. In Ireland, tenant engagement is a growing field. Some housing providers have invested in dedicated tenant engagement teams, but the principles and practices of tenant engagement are of relevance to all those working in social housing delivery and management.

The Housing Agency is collaborating with Supporting Communities, Northern Ireland’s Independent Tenant Organisation, to deliver a half-day workshop for Irish housing professionals working in the field of tenant engagement. The workshop will allow participants to explore best practice in tenant engagement, and consider the future direction of the field in Ireland.

The workshop will take place on Thursday 29 September 2022, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Please note that the workshop is a repeat of the workshop delivered in July 2021. It is aimed at those who were unable to attend last years workshop or those new to the field.

The workshop will:

• Provide examples of best practice
• Provide a discussion forum on the future of tenant engagement in Ireland
• Enable housing professionals working in tenant engagement to meet, network with and learn from peers in other organisations.