News

The Housing Agency and the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) present a lunchtime webinar intended to provide an overview of the regulation of licensed property management agents engaged by owners’ management companies of multi-unit developments such as apartments.  

Maeve Hogan, Chief Executive Officer of the PSRA, will discuss the Authority’s regulatory role as it applies to property management agents, governing legislation, consumer protections, and related matters. 

The webinar will be of interest to people involved with multi-unit developments, including directors of owners’ management companies, licensed property management professionals, residents, Approved Housing Bodies, and Local Authorities.  

The hour long webinar will take place at 12.30pm on Wednesday 28 February 2024. 

Registration for this free event is required via this Zoom Link. 

Upon registration a confirmation email will issue with information about how to join the webinar.

Questions for the webinar Q&A may be emailed in advance before 12pm on Friday 23 February 2024 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 and the PSRA 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.  Neither The Housing Agency nor the Property Services Regulatory Authority may be held responsible for actions or failure to act on foot of the information provided.  Legal or other professional advice should be sought on individual circumstances.

Pictured L-R Michael Carey, Chairman, The Housing Agency; Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Mayo County Council; Seamus De Faoite, Senior Executive Officer, Cork County Council; Fiona Lawless, Head of Finance, Meath County Council and Bob Jordan, CEO, The Housing Agency. 

Press Release 

Originally issued Wednesday, 24th January 2024.

Seamus De Faoite, a Senior Executive Officer at Cork County Council, was awarded a Leadership in Housing bursary by The Housing Agency in Cork last week.

Launched in September 2023 at its Leadership in Housing conference, The Housing Agency’s new annual bursary award will support students to enroll on the Diploma in Leadership Development course at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, geared towards experienced managers in decision-making positions.

Commenting on the bursary and The Housing Agency’s ongoing activity in Cork, Michael Carey, Chairman of the Board, said; “At The Housing Agency, we firmly believe that brave and thoughtful leadership is required to bring about real, positive change to meet our housing needs. Last September we held our Leadership in Housing conference, where we announced this new bursary, contributing towards fulfilling one of our core goals of building capacity in the housing sector. We need to ensure that we continue to develop strong leadership and nurture those leading housing organisations.

“Agile and impactful leaders are crucial to developing a well-resourced, motivated, and expert housing sector that can effectively adapt to change and overcome challenges to deliver new homes and thriving communities.”

Commenting on receiving the bursary award, Seamus De Faoite, Senior Executive Officer at Cork County Council, said; “I’m looking forward to furthering my leadership skills and bringing new knowledge to my role as senior executive officer in Cork County Council’s Housing Directorate. The opportunity to enroll in the Diploma in Leadership Development will be hugely beneficial to my career and the work I do in the housing sector.”

Building sectoral capacity is just one of The Housing Agency’s remits; it has also been managing and supporting a number of projects in Cork, including Croí Cónaithe (Cities) and the Cost Rental Equity Loan Scheme. These projects are part of work that The Housing Agency does to support the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in delivering the national Housing for All plan.

Under the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme, which aims to bridge the current viability gap between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price, there are currently 372 owner-occupier apartments in development in locations across Cork City. In total the scheme is planned to support the building of 5,000 apartments across five cities for sale to owner-occupiers up to 2026.

The Cost Rental Equity Loan, also provided by The Housing Agency, is a method for funding the delivery of Cost Rental housing by Approved Housing Bodies. Two cost rental schemes have delivered a total of 105 dwellings in Cork to date.

 

ENDS

 

Contact: Sara Byrne / Sorcha Mac Mahon, Alice Public Relations, Tel: 086-395 6396/ 087-7585337, Email: media@alicepr.com

 

Notes to Editors:

About The Housing Agency

The Housing Agency supports the development of sustainable communities across Ireland. It works to meet the nation’s housing needs by:

• Co-ordinating programmes that can transform how we live. 
• Providing technical support to accelerate the delivery of housing projects.
• Using data and research to provide evidence-based solutions.
• Advising the Government on housing policies.
• Collaborating with all those involved in the housing sector in Ireland to ensure we are working as effectively as possible. 

A State-funded body, The Housing Agency works mainly with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and non-profit housing providers.

Follow The Housing Agency on:

• X: @HousingAgencyIE
• LinkedIn: @HousingAgencyIE
• Facebook: @HousingAgencyIE

 

 

 

The Housing Agency's online webinar series Trauma Informed Care continues on February 20th, 2024, with a highly relevant and practical session Trauma Informed Care in Homelessness Services Settings.

In this webinar, Niamh Randall, Head of Advocacy and Communications in Respond and Una Burns, Head of Advocacy and Communications in Novas will give presentations outlining their organisation's methodologies and lessons learnt implementing trauma informed care in a homelessness services setting.

The webinar will be chaired by Rob Lowth, Head of Housing First, The Housing Agency.

NOTE: A previous webinar in the series entitled, "An Introduction to Trauma Informed Care for Housing Practitioners" is available to view and recommended viewing before attending this event. You can view the recording of the webinar here – Recording

The event takes place at 2pm on Tuesday February 20th. Register now at this link - Webinar Registration - Zoom

Please note that these online events do not train participants to become trauma therapists but assist in helping housing practitioners become trauma aware.

The Housing Agency will launch new guidance Multi-Unit Developments – A Guide to Insurance at a webinar to be held at 12.30pm on Tuesday 30 January 2024.

Expenditure on insurance is one of the biggest costs incurred by an owners’ management company (OMC) of a multi-unit development such as an apartment block.  This new guide to be launched at the webinar is intended to help directors of OMCs to navigate the subject of insurance. 

The guide will be of interest to Approved Housing Bodies and Local Authorities, licensed property management agents, homeowners, renters, investors / landlords, insurance professionals, and others providing services to multi-unit developments.

Registration for this free event is required via this link.

Upon registration a confirmation email will issue with information about how to join the webinar.

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.  Legal or other professional advice should be sought on individual circumstances.

Today The Housing Agency published the Q4 2023 External Stakeholder Newsletter. You can read the newsletter here -  Read the newsletter 

In this edition you will find details on the Land for Affordable Housing Conference held at the beginning of December, various recent and upcoming publications, an update on MUDs events and you can find information on the Leadership in Housing Bursary Award which closed on Friday 15th December -  among many other things! The newsletter also contains a section on useful links and resources. 

To subscribe to our newsletter and keep up to date with housing news and events click on this link to subscribe.  

Read our previous stakeholder newsletters here - The Housing Agency External Stakeholder Newsletter | The Housing Agency

The Housing Agency's online webinar series Trauma Informed Care continues on January 29th 2024 with a highly insightful webinar for housing practitioners, Implementing Trauma Informed Care in Professional Practice. 

In this session, Dr. Maria Lotty, Lecturer and Senior Coordinator for Health and Social Care Programmes at the Centre for Adult Continuing Education, University College Cork will provide an overview of Trauma Informed Care from the perspective of direct, front line professional practice including the use of the highly practical TARA model (Trauma, Attachment, Resilience into Action), which she has developed.

The webinar will be chaired by Patrick McCarthy, Head of Local Authority Services at The Housing Agency.

NOTE: A previous webinar in the series entitled, "An Introduction to Trauma Informed Care for Housing Practitioners" is available to view and recommended viewing before attending this event. You can view the recording of the webinar here - webinar.

The event takes place at 12 noon on Monday January 29th. Register now at this link - Registration 

Please note that these online events do not train participants to become trauma therapists but assist in helping housing practitioners become trauma aware.

Press release originally issued by Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 11th December 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Monday December 11th 2023 

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, has today announced the opening of the Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013.

The Scheme will be administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis. The Scheme will be open to applications from Owners' Management Companies (OMCs) from 1pm today December 11th 2023. Applications can be made via the Housing Agency’s website at www.housingagency.ie

The Scheme opening today will provide for the full funding of interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings, pending completion of the full remedial works.

Full remedial works, which will include all necessary fire safety measures as well as those related to water ingress and structural damage, will be funded under a statutory scheme that will be legislated for next year. Work is already underway in the Department on drafting this legislation.

The Minister commented:

“The Scheme I am launching today is an important next step in helping affected homeowners to help get their homes and lives back together. It will ensure that important measures can be put in place immediately to guarantee the long-term safety of the many thousands of apartment residents across Ireland.

“I am delighted that the Housing Agency have committed their knowledge and resources to helping to design and now operate this Scheme on a nationwide basis. Their experience and expertise gained over many years in, for example, the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme will I am sure, prove to be invaluable in helping to ensure the successful implementation of this Scheme during 2024.”

The Minister noted that:

“This Interim Scheme is the result of a significant period of consultation with homeowners' representatives. I would like to pay tribute to their professionalism, diligence and patience through this process, I have engaged with them regularly on this issue throughout the last number of months. Their insights have been an essential element that has allowed my Department, the Housing Agency and Local Authority Fire Services to put together this Scheme that will release funding for vital emergency measures in advance of the full statutory scheme being ready next year.”

ENDS

Further information

• In January 2023, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien T.D announced plans to draft legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes with fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The proposed legislation will provide a statutory basis for the establishment of an Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation scheme aimed at protecting the safety and welfare of those living in apartments or duplexes with such defects. The scope, eligibility criteria and conditions of the statutory scheme will ultimately depend on the legislation that is passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas and signed into law by the President.

• Given the overall potential scale and estimated cost associated with rectifying these issues, it is likely that it will take many years to remediate all affected buildings. Resources and works, therefore, will need to be prioritised. Acknowledging this and considering that interim measures might be necessary in certain instances to ensure an acceptable standard of fire safety in buildings before the comprehensive completion of remedial works, the Government is currently introducing an Interim Remediation Scheme on an administrative basis.

• The scale of defects in apartments and duplexes is significant. The Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing that reported to Minister O’Brien in July 2022, estimated that between 50% and 80% of apartments and duplexes (or associated common areas) constructed between 1991 and 2013, may be affected by one or more fire safety, structural safety or water ingress defects. This equates to between 62,500 and 100,000 apartments/duplexes. The average cost of remediation is approximately €25,000 per unit, which means the full statutory scheme could have a potential cost to the Exchequer of between €1.5 billion and €2.5 billion.

• Only defects that are attributable to defective design, defective or faulty workmanship, defective materials (or any combination of these) and were in contravention of the relevant Parts of the Building Regulations applicable at the time of construction will be eligible for inclusion in the statutory scheme. Any defects that originate from inadequate maintenance, poor management etc., will not be included within the scope of the scheme.

• It is intended that a whole building approach will be taken to remediate relevant defects and to improve the safety of all occupants in the building. In light of their existing legal responsibilities and ownership of common areas, it is intended that Owners’ Management Companies will be funded to carry out the necessary remediation works, with specific limitations or exemptions on certain commercial owners.

• A Code of Practice for the Remediation of Fire Safety Defects in the context of the Fire Services Acts, to provide guidance to relevant professionals, including guidance on interim safety measures was published in July 2023. The provisions of this Code of Practice will also ensure a consistent approach nationwide to remediation.

• The scheme will provide for a form of certification, based on the Code of Practice, in relation to the works carried out to remediate defects in an apartment/duplex building. This is important for a range of stakeholders and processes e.g. insurance bodies, financial institutions, conveyancing etc.

• Additional special resources have been allocated in the Department and the Housing Agency to co-ordinate and oversee the administration of the Interim Scheme.

 

You can access the application portal here: Interim Remediation Scheme of Fire Safety Defects in Eligible Apartments and Duplexes 2023 | The Housing Agency

October

• The Guide to the Planning and Development Bill 2023 was published.
• The Homeless Report for August 2023 was published, and found that 12,691 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 21-27 August
• The 2024 Budget Expenditure Report was published and included key housing related expenditures such as funding for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the provision of new affordable housing and cost rental homes.
• Monthly Commencement Data for September 2023 were published and shows commencement notices for 2,607 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in September 2023.
• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Statistics were published for Q3 and indicated there were 4,640 applications received to 30 September with 21 grants issued.

November

• The Homeless Report for September 2023 was published and found that 12,827 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 18-24 September 2023.
• The Planning and Development Bill 2023 was published, after Oireachtas scrutiny and stakeholder engagement.
• The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, welcomed the launch of new housing projects under the social housing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme which will deliver almost 650 new social homes.

• Monthly Commencement Data for October 2023 were published and shows commencement notices for 2,624 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in October 2023.

• The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD announced the approval of another proposal under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme, for the development of 274 apartments in Blackrock Villas, Cork.

December

• The Homeless Report for October 2023 was published and found that 13,179 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 23-19 October 2023.
• The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published their report on the regulatory impact analysis of the Planning and Development Bill

 

Publications:

Housing Affordability for Private Household Buyers in Ireland – 6th October 2023 – Houses of the Oireachtas, Parliamentary Budget Office

AHB Unencumbered Units Working Group Report– 19th October 2023 – DHLGH

Locked Out of the Market, September 2023– 25th October 2023– Simon Communities of Ireland

Urban vacancy in Ireland: Addressing recent responses and opportunities (tcd.ie) – TCD & Dublin City Council

Irish Council for Social Housing Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2023 – 28th November 2023 – ICSH

Is Ireland Thriving? Answers from International Assessments –– October 2023 – NESC

On 1st December, The Housing Agency, working in association with the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD, will deliver a conference entitled “Land for Affordable Housing”.

The management of land to produce affordable housing options is a central issue facing the housing sector in Ireland. The Housing Agency, the LDA and the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD, have previously collaborated on this topic at the ISHF in Barcelona and the "Talking About Land" series. This half-day event will continue these conversations and feature experts from organisations in Ireland dealing with these issues such as the LDA, OPR, and NESC, with a format based on questions and discussion.

Expert panellists from across the sector will review the work of the previous events and discuss the solutions and a way forward that will help manage Irelands precious land resources to further support the delivery of social and affordable housing.

Registration for this event is at capacity, and a waitlist is in operation. If you wish to be notified about future events, please email training@housingagency.ie.

More details on our event at ISHF Barcelona in June 2023 are available on our website here: The Ground Beneath Our Feet - public land use and delivery of affordable housing

The “Talking About Land” series is available to access here: “Talking about Land” series.

The agenda for this in-person conference is available to download here - Conference Programme

You can view the highlights reel from the day here - YouTube

The Summary Report from the conference is available to download here - Conference Summary Report

 

The Housing Agency is delighted to launch its Leadership in Housing Bursary Award for 2024.

The delivery of sustainable, affordable, and high-quality homes is one of the key issues in Ireland today. Agile and impactful leaders are crucial to developing a well-resourced, motivated, and expert housing sector that can effectively adapt to change and overcome challenges to deliver new homes and thriving communities. The Housing Agency wishes to further support the development of leadership skills in the housing sector through a bursary award for further education in this field.

 

This bursary award will support a student to enroll on the Diploma in Leadership Development course offered by the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School:

Diploma in Leadership Development (30 credits at NFQ Level 9)

(course commencing 8th February 2024)

Further course details are available at the following link: Diploma in Leadership Development

 

Applicants wishing to apply for the bursary award should submit the bursary application form to The Housing Agency on or before the 15^th December 2023.

 

Please note, admission to the relevant course is separate from the bursary award: in order for applicants to be eligible for the bursary award they must also meet the application and eligibility requirements of the course provider.

The course provider application procedures are set out on their website and is available at How to Apply | UCD Smurfit School

Please note that admission to course is separate from the bursary award application, and applicants must also complete the course providers’ standard course application process.

Course application closing dates may differ to those of the Bursary Scheme.