The Housing Agency has today welcomed the announcement of significant investment in housing in Ireland, as set out in Budget 2022.

The €4 billion allocated today shows the Government’s commitment to the ambitious targets outlined in Housing for All and will go towards supporting the housing needs of almost 31,000 additional households in 2022. A total of 11,820 new social homes will be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing programmes – 9,000 of these will be new builds, to be delivered as part of a €2.6 billion capital funding programme.

Welcoming today’s announcement, The Housing Agency CEO Bob Jordan said:

“Budget 2022 represents the first step in delivering on the Government’s housing objectives, as set out in Housing for All.

“The Housing Agency’s vision is to promote sustainable homes and communities. Through making long-term investments in affordable high-quality homes for purchase or rent, this Budget represents a commitment to that vision.

“It is critical that we increase our housing supply to at least 33,000 homes per annum. The Housing Agency will play a key role in increasing supply, with methods to address vacant homes to the fore. We will manage the Croí Cónaithe Fund, which will support affordable apartments in urban areas. With €50 million being provided to establish the Fund in 2022, it will deliver medium to high density housing at a lower cost, for apartment living in blocks of four storeys or more. The Agency will also establish a central advisory service to assist Local Authorities with a compulsory purchase order programme for purchase of vacant buildings for the provision of social and affordable homes.

“The Housing Agency will continue to advise and support Government on housing affordability and welcomes the allocation of €175 million to deliver 4,130 homes for affordable purchase or rental in 2022. We look forward to continuing our management and administration of the Cost Rental Scheme, providing affordable and secure homes to rent through approved housing bodies. The continuation of the Help to Buy scheme, as well as new affordable purchase initiatives such as the First Home Scheme coming on board, will have a significant impact in making homes more affordable."

Mr Jordan added: “Sustainable communities are ones that support the complete life-cycle – meeting our needs as we grow, and having the facilities and supports in place to assist us if and when we need them. We hope that the measures outlined in Budget 2022 will lead to more people living in sustainable cities, towns and villages across Ireland.”

Please note that The Housing Agency is no longer accepting submissions for the Training Needs Analysis Questionnaire.

The Housing Agency is committed to delivering high-quality training to the Irish housing sector. Working with our partners in the Housing Training Network, we provide a coordinated approach to delivering training opportunities for housing practitioners, ranging from information webinars to practice-based workshops, one- and two-day training sessions, and accredited education courses.

We now need your help to plan our training programme for the period 2022-2023 and are asking you to complete a Training Needs Analysis questionnaire.

The Housing Agency has conducted periodic Training Needs Analyses (TNAs) of the Irish housing sector, in April 2016, April 2018, and February 2020. These have supported the development of a wide array of training related initiatives and events, including the creation of the Housing Training Network, the development of the housingtraining.ie website, the introduction of the Housing Education Bursary Scheme, and the delivery of a range of lectures, webinars, workshops, and training sessions.   

Responses to this 2021 Training Needs Analysis will be shared with our partners in the Housing Training Network – the IPA, ICSH, LGMA, RTB and CIH. This will ensure the delivery of quality training outcomes for housing practitioners. Your answers to this TNA will help the delivery and further development of a training offering that fulfils the changing needs of the Irish housing sector. Please also forward to colleagues you think it would be relevant to. 

We would like to thank you for your time in completing this questionnaire. 

The questionnaire should take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and is available at the following link: https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/NhB8qf. 

For further information about The Housing Agency's training offerings, please contact training@housingagency.ie. For more information about the Housing Training Network, please visit housingtraining.ie. 

The Housing Agency and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland will host a webinar outlining the changes to Part V under the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which came into operation on 3 September.

This 60-minute webinar will take place at 3pm on Monday 11 October.

Click here to register

Pat Fitzpatrick, Head of Part V at The Housing Agency will provide an overview of the key changes in the legislation and outline some scenarios which may arise under the new legislation. Ian Galbraith, Chartered Surveyor and Head of Commercial Valuations at Sherry FitzGerald will discuss the changes from an industry perspective and their impact on land valuations. The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session for attendees.

This webinar will be of interest to all those in the housing sector who are involved in the Part V process including surveyors, valuers, developers, landowners and approved housing bodies.

Registration is required to participate in this free webinar. To register please visit https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XG4lU1zbTaK_wjyw3KkM4g 
 

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD has announced the appointment of Bob Jordan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Housing Agency. Mr Jordan will take up the CEO position with The Housing Agency next week.

Commenting Minister O’Brien said: “Following on from the publication of the Housing for All Plan the next few years will continue to be a challenging period for all working in the housing sector. Having someone of Bob’s calibre and experience leading The Housing Agency during this critical time will be of great benefit. I would also like to thank John O’Connor for his excellent work as CEO. John’s expertise and knowledge have been invaluable to me and I am glad he has accepted the position of Chair of the soon to be established Commission on Housing.”

Bob Jordan has a strong leadership record in the housing sector. Since 2018 he has been the National Director of the Government's Housing First programme, which provides permanent homes and wraparound supports to people who have experienced rough sleeping and long-term homelessness. Based in Dublin City Council, Mr. Jordan has worked closely with local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, health services and homeless charities to extend the programme nationwide. Prior to his role in Housing First, Mr. Jordan was Chief Executive of the housing charity Threshold for nearly a decade. He was Special Adviser to the Minister for Housing during 2016-2017.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Jordan said: "I am delighted to be taking up the role of CEO of The Housing Agency. The Agency plays a critical role in supporting the delivery of social and affordable housing. In recent years, it has taken on additional responsibilities to respond to the housing challenges we face. With the Government having recently published a new housing strategy, I look forward to working with the Board and staff of The Housing Agency to promote housing supply to meet current and future needs."

Chairperson of The Housing Agency, Michael Carey said: “We are delighted to welcome Bob to The Housing Agency to take on this crucially important leadership position. Bob is a highly regarded housing specialist with over 20 years’ experience of delivering high impact programmes that address complex housing needs.”

Commenting on the departure of outgoing Chief Executive Officer, John O’Connor, who is retiring, Mr Carey added: “John has been an outstanding CEO since The Housing Agency was established in 2012, building a great team of highly dedicated public servants and working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other organisations. The Board of the Agency would like to thank John for his outstanding commitment and service.’

Minister O’Brien recently appointed John O’Connor as Chairperson designate of the Commission on Housing, which will be established later this year.

In summer 2021 The Housing Agency hosted a series of six free weekly webinars where experts delivered guidance on the governance and management of apartments and multi-unit developments.

The live lunchtime training sessions were of relevance to stakeholders involved with multi-unit developments (MUDs), and particularly to directors of owners' management companies (OMCs).

Recordings of the webinars are now available to view below and on The Housing Agency's YouTube channel.

The views expressed by the speakers in these videos are not necessarily those of The Housing Agency. All information correct as of broadcast date.

This September The Housing Agency will host the final in a series of webinars on housing vulnerability. Women and Housing Vulnerability will provide an opportunity to hear about policy and practice approaches to housing vulnerability from national and international experts. This event will be of interest to policy makers, academics, housing practitioners and all those working in the housing, local government, justice and equality sectors.

This hour-long session will take place from 1-2pm on Thursday, 9 September.

Click here to register

Speakers:

Dr Paula Mayock - Associate Professor at the School of Social Work & Social Studies at Trinity College Dublin. Established Women’s Homelessness in Europe Network (WHEN)

Dr Paula Mayock is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin. Paula’s research focuses primarily on the lives and experiences of marginalised youth and adult populations, covering areas such as homelessness, drug use and drug problems. She is the founder and co-director of the Women’s Homelessness in Europe Network (WHEN) (http://womenshomelessness.org/), which aims to promote and develop academic scholarship on gender dimensions of homelessness. Paula is co-editor of Women’s Homelessness in Europe (Palgrave Macmillan 2016) and the author of numerous articles, book chapters and research reports..

Deidre Cartwright – Development Manager, Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance UK

Deidre Cartwright is a Development Manager for Standing Together working within the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA). Her role focuses on improving the housing sector’s response to domestic abuse through a Whole Housing Approach, with a particular focus on the experiences of victim-survivors living in the private rented sector. Deidre also chairs the Perpetrators and Housing Working Group, which is a sub group of the National Housing and Domestic Abuse Policy and Practice Group, which brings VAWG and housing sector partners together to influence policy and develop best practice in response to domestic abuse. Deidre is also a Domestic Homicide Review Chair and Author with Standing Together, where she leads local multi-agency panels to develop learning and improve practice following the tragedy of a domestic homicide. Deidre brings 10 years’ experience in the domestic abuse sector, both as a front-line practitioner and an advisor to national and local policy makers and practitioners in developing coordinated community responses to domestic abuse.

Please note that this webinar will be recorded for future use.

Alternative registration link: Webinar Registration - Zoom

On Thursday 29 July The Housing Agency hosted the second in a series of webinars on housing vulnerability. Unhoused Trauma in Homelessness and Addiction provided an opportunity to hear about policy and practice approaches to housing vulnerability from national and international experts.

Speakers:

• Dr Briege Casey, Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, DCU and Programme Coordinator of the Certificate in Homeless Prevention and Intervention
• Gary Broderick, Director of the SAOL Project

All information correct as of broadcast date. The views expressed in the recording below do not necessarily represent the views of The Housing Agency. First broadcast: 29 July 2021. Click below to watch:

Speaker bios

Dr. Briege Casey - Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, DCU and Programme Coordinator of the Certificate in Homeless Prevention and Intervention

Dr Casey designed (in collaboration with Dublin Region Homeless Executive) the Undergraduate Certificate in Homeless Prevention and Intervention, the only university accredited programme in Europe focusing on the health and social care needs of homeless populations. She is the lead for the Community Health Academic group in the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, DCU and conducts a range of research initiatives in this area for example, most recently: Autism and homelessness and COVID-19 related support for people accessing homeless services. She publishes and presents widely on narrative and arts–based research including several research projects concerning the use of arts and health methodologies for improving health and social outcomes among marginalised groups. She has held several senior positions within DCU including Director of Teaching and Learning and Post Graduate Convenor roles in the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health. She was the recipient of the DCU President’s Award for Distinctive Teaching Approaches 2013 and the winner of DCU President’s Award for Engagement 2018.  She is a reviewer for Journal of Advanced Nursing, Qualitative Health Research and Psychology and Health.  

Gary Broderick – Director, Saol Project

Mr Broderick is the Director of the SAOL Project, a service working with women who use/d drugs. Arising from his work with women who use substances, he has developed a keen interest in Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) and has implemented TIP in SAOL and has spoken at several conferences on this topic and the practical issues connected with implementing this essential philosophy. He also lectures at UCD in the Masters in Social Work, DCU’s Diploma in Homelessness Prevention and Intervention and Maynooth University’s Youth and Community Degree as well as their Social Policy degree. During his career he has attained a Diploma in Addiction Studies with Trinity College and  has completed his research masters in Eating Disorders. 

Hosted by The Housing Agency, this series of six free weekly webinars will see experts deliver guidance on the governance and management of apartments and multi-unit developments.

The live lunchtime training sessions will be of relevance to stakeholders involved with multi-unit developments (MUDs), and particularly to directors of owners' management companies (OMCs).

Attendees at all six live training sessions will be issued with a certificate of attendance.* 

Sessions will be held live from 12:30-2pm on six consecutive Wednesdays.

To attend all six live webinars it is necessary to register separately for each individual session using the individual links below. This means that you will receive six separate emails. Each email contains a link to attend one webinar. Registration for one webinar will provide access to that webinar only.

Please note that these sessions will be recorded for future use.

Certificate of Attendance

*To be eligible to receive a Certificate of Attendance, participants must register for all six live events. They must also attend all six live events in full and as they are being first broadcast via Zoom. A Certificate of Attendance will be emailed no later than one month after the final session on Wednesday 18 August 2021, and once it has been verified that individuals concerned have met the above requirements.

Please note that while the events will be recorded and recordings may be made available at a later date, it is only possible to issue Certificates of Attendance to persons who have attended all six live events.

Training is intended to provide practical guidance, and is provided on the understanding that The Housing Agency and the presenters are not engaged in rendering professional services.

The Housing Agency disclaims all liability for any reliance placed on the information provided at training events and in support materials. If advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

If you have any queries on the training webinars, please contact mud@housingagency.ie.

Download the Multi-Unit Developments Training Webinars Flyer (PDF)

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 22 July 2021, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

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.

The workshop will be held online, via Zoom. Participants will receive a link in advance.

For further information please contact training@housingagency.ie.

On Thursday, 24 June The Housing Agency hosted 'Key Issues in Tackling Homelessness,' the first in a series of webinars on housing vulnerability. The webinar provided an opportunity to hear about policy and practice approaches to housing vulnerability from national and international experts.

Speakers

• Dr Ligia Teixeira, CEO, Centre for Homelessness Impact UK
• Bob Jordan, National Director, Housing First Ireland

Both speakers brought a wealth of knowledge and provided an evidence-based analysis of the key issues in addressing homelessness today.

All information correct as of broadcast date. The views expressed in the recording below do not necessarily represent the views of The Housing Agency. Broadcast date: 24 June 2021. Click below to watch:

Speaker Bios

Bob Jordan is the National Director for the Housing First programme, which is part of the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland action plan for housing and homelessness. Bob was responsible for developing the National Housing First Implementation Plan 2018 - 2021 which was jointly launched by the Minister for Housing and Minister for Health in September. Bob Jordan was Special Adviser to the former Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government in 2016 -2017, and CEO of the national housing charity Threshold from 2007 – 2016. He is a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science & Software Engineering) graduate of Trinity College Dublin and holds a Masters in International Relations from Dublin City University.

Dr Ligia Teixeira is the founding Chief Executive of the Centre for Homelessness Impact, a member of the What Works Network. She set up the Centre in 2018 and led the feasibility study which preceded its creation while at Crisis UK. Lígia is bringing ‘what works’ methodology to homelessness: the use of reliable evidence and reason to improve outcomes with existing resources. In 2019 Lígia was conferred the Award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) for her contribution to social science. In 2016 she was awarded a Clore Social Fellowship on Housing and Homelessness, funded by the Oak Foundation. Lígia was previously at Crisis UK, where over a period of nine years she led the organisation's evidence and data programme - growing its scale and impact so that it's now one of the largest and most influential in the UK and internationally. She joined the charity in March 2008 following stints at the Young Foundation and the Refugee Council. Lígia was awarded a PhD from the Government Department of the London School of Economics in 2007. She has also worked in research roles for Professor David Held, founder of Polity Press, for sociologist Professor Helmut Anheier, who founded and directed the LSE’s Centre for Civil Society, and for the International Labour Organisation where she covered issues including human trafficking, child labour and women’s rights.