Access the conference brochure and workshops brochure below:

• Conference brochure    
• Workshop brochure

The 2024 Housing Practitioners' Conference will take place in the Mullingar Park Hotel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, on Thursday, 25 April and Friday, 26 April 2024 (half day). 

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien T.D., will open the conference which will involve a day and a half of expert speakers and workshops discussing best practice and policy on housing.

The theme of this year’s conference will be “Opportunities for Sustainable Housing”. It will involve a mix of plenary sessions and workshops. Sessions will cover 'Progress Delivery and Future Opportunities', ‘Vacant Homes: Opportunities for Collaboration’, ‘Funding Opportunities’, and ‘Opportunities for a Sustainable Future’.

Registration for the conference is via the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) website - Housing Practitioners' Conference (ipa.ie). 

 

Today, The Housing Agency has published the fourth issue of the Policy Insights Paper. Issue 4 looks at Office-to-Residential Conversions: Case studies from Tuath Housing.

This Housing Agency Policy Insights Series paper describes how Tuath Housing collaborated with stakeholders to successfully carry out two conversion projects in Park West Business Park , Dublin 12 and Springville House, Cork City. It demonstrates the benefits of repurposing a vacant building, with some of the key findings highlighted below.

• Up to 73% of embodied carbon can be saved compared with a demolition and re-build.
• Office-to-residential conversion projects are a sustainable housing solution, which can help to regenerate areas suffering from vacancy and dereliction,
• Office-to-residential conversions promote the creation of sustainable communities and contribute towards environmental targets.

The aim of this case study is to provide the learnings to other social housing providers to be able to replicate with similar projects.

The Housing Agency Housing Insight Series aims to disseminate good practice in housing and innovative solutions among housing practitioners in Ireland. The papers provide a case study of effective, practical implementation of a piece of housing policy or practice. The resulting short paper is intended to provide a knowledge base and provide ideas to others in the sector, building the overall capacity of the sector. The Housing Agency sources case studies from our staff, The Housing Agency panels, housing practitioners and stakeholders. 

You can access and read the full report here - Policy Insights Paper - Issue 4 

 

January 

• The Homeless Report for November 2023 was published, and found that 13,514 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 20-26 November 2023. 

• The Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities were published. 

• Monthly Commencement Data for December 2023 were published and shows commencement notices for 32,801 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities between January and December 2023. 

• The Homeless Report for December 2023 was published, and found that 11,272 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 25-31 December 2023. 

• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics for Q4 2023 were published and showed there were 1,150 applications received and 1,180 applications approved. 

February 

• 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. 

• Monthly Commencement Data for January 2024 were published and shows commencement notices for 3,357 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in January 2024. 

• The Homeless Report for January 2024 was published, and found that 13,531 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 22-28 January 2024. 

March 

• On 5th March, the Government agreed to the deferral of the approval of a revised National Planning Framework and have set out a revised timeline for the process. 

• The Q4 2023 Construction Status Reports shows that 7,089 social homes are currently onsite with an additional 15,448 homes at design and tender stage. 

• The Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2023 was published. 

• The Homeless Report for February 2024 was published, and found that 13,841 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 19-25 February 2024. 

Relevant publications: 

Focus_On_Homelessness_adult_only.pdf (focusireland.ie) – January – Focus Ireland 

Housing: chapter 3 in The National Development Plan in 2023: priorities and capacity | ESRI – 12th January – ESRI 

Key Irish Housing Publications in 2023 | The Housing Agency – 30th January – The Housing Agency  

Contrasting Housing Supply In Ireland, Northern Ireland And The Rest Of The United Kingdom (esri.ie) – 31st January 2024 - ESRI 

TASC Publications | TASC - Think-tank for Action on Social Change – 1st February - TASC 

RTB_Rent_Index_Q3_2023_Report.pdf – 8th February – RTB 

NESC@50: A Thriving Ireland – The Views of Young People on Policy Priorities and Participation | The National Economic and Social Council - Ireland – March 2024 – NESC 

Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2024 Grant Offers – March 2024 – DHLGH 

The Housing Agency presents a lunchtime webinar intended to provide an overview of the role of the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) vis-à-vis company law, as it applies to owners’ management companies (OMCs) of multi-unit developments such as apartments.  

The Corporate Enforcement Authority is Ireland’s company law enforcement agency. Its mission is to promote and serve the public interest by ensuring high levels of compliance with company law through effective advocacy and proportionate, robust, and dissuasive enforcement.

At the webinar Fallon Judge, Director of Civil Enforcement with the CEA, will discuss:

• Directors’ duties and responsibilities,
• CEA’s role in encouraging compliance with company law,
• Resources available to the CEA,
• CEA’s graduated approach towards enforcement, and
• CEA’s complaints processes. 

The webinar will be of interest to people involved with OMCs, including directors and members of OMCs, licensed property management agents, residents, Approved Housing Bodies, Local Authorities, and others involved with OMCs.  

The hour-long webinar will take place at 12.30pm on Tuesday 16 April 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 Friday 12 April 2024 to MUD@housingagency.ie. 

This is a live event.  Registrants are kindly advised that while a copy of the slides will be circulated after the event, the webinar will not be recorded. 

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 the Corporate Enforcement Authority 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.

The Housing Agency is delighted to announce the winner of the 2023 Housing Agency Essay Prize competition. This prize is awarded to the most original student essay submitted for assessment as part of the Institute of Public Administration’s Professional Diploma in Housing Studies. This year’s winner is:

Killian O'Sullivan for the essay entitled “Childcare Provision in New Housing” which has been published on our website here.

In addition, there were two runner-up prizes awarded. These were:

Malachy Egan for the essay entitled “The Land Development Agency – A Structural Analysis within Irish Housing Policy”

and

Stephen Owens for the essay entitled “Do publicly available statistics and associated commentary improve our understanding of the Irish housing market.”

The Housing Agency would like to congratulate the winner and the runners-up on the quality of their essays, the originality of their research, and their engagement with public policy.

The Housing Agency is committed to supporting the education, training, and development of Ireland’s housing practitioners.

For more information on the education and training options available for housing practitioners, please see www.housingtraining.ie.

Information about the Institute of Public Administration’s Professional Diploma in Housing Studies, as well as other courses relevant to housing practitioners, can be found here and here.

 

The Housing Agency is delighted to announce that it has been officially recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland™ in 2024.

The Housing Agency was recognised at the 22nd annual Great Place to Work Awards on Wednesday, 28th February 2024 which took place in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin.

Ireland's Best Workplaces™ 2024 is a list recognising the top certified organisations of all sizes and industry sectors in Ireland.

The Best Workplaces in Ireland 2024 Irish Times special report will be published on Thursday 29th February in The Irish Times and the Irish Examiner newspapers. There will be a digital version hosted on the Best Workplaces website and on The Irish Times website. The special report will outline which organisations made the 2024 list, key insights on what makes a great workplace culture, and a look into Ireland's influence in the European market.

You can read more about Best Workplaces here https://www.greatplacetowork.ie/great-workplaces/irelands-best-workplaces/irelands-best-workplaces-2023/

To be considered for Ireland's Best Workplaces™ recognition, participating organisations are required to be Certified™ as a Great Place to Work in Ireland first.

The Housing Agency received the Great Place to Work certification in October 2023. The Great Place to Work certification demonstrates The Housing Agency's commitment to providing an excellent working environment for staff to feel proud and valued for the work they do. As part of the certification process, staff in The Housing Agency were surveyed about their perception of their work experience and working environment in a Trust Index survey which consisted of 73 confidential questions.

The Housing Agency is a state agency that supports the delivery of high-quality homes and thriving communities. We are a growing organisation, looking for motivated problem solvers who want to create a better Ireland.

Find more information about our career opportunities here - https://www.housingagency.ie/careers

The Housing Agency presents a webinar about waste management/segregation, and recycling in multi-unit developments (MUDs), mainly apartments.  Expert speakers from a Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authority (WERLA), and the Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA), will discuss legal obligations for stakeholders, good practice, and developments in the sector.

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

The hour long webinar will take place at 1.00pm on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.

Registration for this event is required via this Zoom link.

When you register a confirmation email will issue containing information about how to join the webinar.

Questions for the webinar Q&A may be emailed in advance before 12pm on Friday, 8 March 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 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, WERLA, IWMA, and webinar speakers may not 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.

 

 

The Housing Agency's online webinar series Trauma Informed Care concludes its current online programme on March 27th, 2024, with a highly insightful and engaging webinar Trauma Informed Care: Vicarious Trauma Self Care for Practitioners. 

In this session, Dr. Briege Casey, Associate Professor at DCU, and Gary Broderick, CEO, The SAOL Project, will give presentations and discuss Vicarious Trauma Self Care for Practitioners. Bob Jordan, CEO of The Housing Agency will also speak and outline the program next stages. 

The webinar will be chaired by Gráinne Johnston, Administrative Officer 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 – 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 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