News

The Housing Agency is delighted to announce the winner of the 2022 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:

Holly Morrin for her essay ‘An Exploration of the Practicalities in Defining Potential Sub-County Housing Need and Demand Assessment Geographies for Ireland’.

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

Maria Griffin, for her essay ‘Living Together, Living Apart: The Treatment of Travellers within Housing Policy’

and

Wanita Maher, for her essay ‘Ageing in Place: Meeting the Housing Requirements of an Ageing Population’.

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 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.

One of the major challenges facing the Irish housing sector is ensuring sustainability. This includes sustainability of our housing finance models, sustainable communities and environmental sustainability.

Delivered in a hybrid format, The Housing Agency's Annual Conference 2022 explored these challenges in the November Housing Conference. This half-day event featured international and Irish expert input, followed by questions and discussion.

Watch the conference in full

Read the conference report

The conference presentations can all be downloaded from the list below:

Session 1: Financial Sustainability

Chair: David Silke –The Housing Agency

• Josh Ryan Collins – Associate Professor in Economics & Finance, University College London
• Michelle Norris – Director of the Geary Institute and Professor of Social Policy, University College Dublin
• Dermot O’Leary – Chief Economist, Goodbody

Session 2: Sustainable Housing, Sustainable Communities 

Chair: Claire Feeney – The Housing Agency 

• Gulnara Roll – Regional Advisor, UNECE
• Prof. Brian Evans – City Urbanist Glasgow
• Michaela Kauer – Director, Brussels Office of the City of Vienna
• Valerie Mulvin – Director, McCullough Mulvin Architects
• Ciaran Byrne – Director, SEAI

"Live in a bank, church or shop. It’s one solution to the housing crisis" - Housing Unlocked profiled in The Irish Times 

The Housing Unlocked exhibition by the Irish Architecture Foundation and The Housing Agency opens on 14th October at the Science Gallery, Dublin The exhibition features eight innovative architect-led solutions to help unlock housing in Ireland by addressing issues such as vacancy, density, regeneration, social inclusion and modern methods of construction.  

The exhibition and its submissions were profiled by Gemma Tipton in The Irish Times on Saturday 8th October. Speaking about the exhibition Tipton outlines how the ideas in Housing Unlocked are "practical", "ranging from grand plans to convert churches, former bank buildings and vacant shops, to small ideas for big change in rural towns, there is a lot to inspire". Bob Jordan, CEO of The Housing Agency outlines the agency's involvement and his hopes for the exhibition:

"Set up in 2012, the agency is tasked with 'delivering sustainable and affordable housing for us all” and Jordan wants to make the most of all opportunities. “If it ended with the exhibition, I’d be extremely disappointed,' he says. 'The exhibition is saying: here are the ideas that we think can be carried forward, that can have an influence on our housing system. There is an opportunity in every town and village and city in Ireland to do something with some of the ideas that are here,' he concludes."

To read the article in full please visit The Irish Times website. 

For more information on the exhibition and submissions please visit the Housing Unlocked website. 

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

The Housing Agency were asked to speak at the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials' (NAHRO) conference in September 2022. To discuss the topic of the impact of Covid-19 on housing in Ireland, we prepared a video. 

This video provides insights from Bob Jordan, CEO, Rob Lowth, National Director for Housing First and Julie Davis, Local Authority Services Team. They discuss the housing measures that were introduced to help support people during the pandemic such as the eviction band and rent freeze. Bob Jordan also covers the supports that have been maintained and the important work carried out in Ireland to support homeless people during the pandemic. Julie Davis discusses how stakeholders worked together to deliver the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People. Finally, Rob Lowth outlines how Housing First programmes continued to provide important supports and services to some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society during this time. 

PRESS RELEASE 

Wednesday, 28th September 2022 

The Housing Agency welcomes Budget measures which will “increase housing delivery, improve affordability and support the most vulnerable” 

The Housing Agency, the government body working to support the delivery of housing, has today (28.09.2022) welcomed the housing measures announced as part of yesterday’s Budget 2023. According to The Housing Agency, these measures will “improve affordability, increase the supply of homes and provide support to the most vulnerable in our society.” 

Commenting on yesterday’s announcement, Bob Jordan, CEO of The Housing Agency, said: “The central role of The Housing Agency is to provide expertise and solutions to help deliver sustainable communities with high quality and affordable homes to meet the nation’s housing needs. Yesterday’s announcements are another important step in delivering on the commitments set out in Housing for All.  

“The Housing Agency plays a significant role in the provision of affordable housing. It has managed the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme since its introduction in early 2021, and we welcome the commitment by the Government to deliver a further 1,850 cost rental homes using CREL and other delivery mechanisms in 2023. Similarly, we welcome the continued investment in providing affordable homes to purchase.”  

“The new vacant property tax is designed to encourage better use of the existing housing stock by bringing vacant homes back into occupation. The Housing Agency welcomes this measure. We will continue our role in addressing vacancy through our central advisory service on compulsory purchase orders and providing advice to local authorities on the Town Centre First programme, which will combat vacancy and dereliction in towns and villages across Ireland.  

Protecting the vulnerable in society  

The Housing Agency includes the National Office for Housing First, which is a government programme that works to support people experiencing long-term homelessness and those with complex needs. Commenting on yesterday’s 10 per cent increase in funding for homeless services, Rob Lowth, the National Director for Housing First said:  

“It is crucial the most vulnerable in Irish society are protected and provided with appropriate and sustainable homes and supports. Yesterday’s increase shows a firm commitment by the Government to reduce homelessness and eradicate rough sleeping.”  

“Importantly, the budget also provides €219 million to fund programmes and supports for disabled people, older people, and Travellers. Earlier this year the Government published the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 which was prepared with the assistance of The Housing Agency. The implementation plan for this strategy is expected shortly.”  

Minister O’Brien also announced that he had brought a memo to Government on the recently published report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing. An inter-departmental and agency group is being established to bring forward specific proposals to Government by the end of the year. The Agency looks forward to engagement in relation to the steps announced by the Minister.  

Mr. Jordan concluded, “The Housing Agency welcomes Budget 2023, which continues to build on the success of Housing for All. We look forward to working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities, approved housing bodies and all our stakeholders to provide affordable, high-quality housing and sustainable communities for all.”   

ENDS  

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.

The Housing Agency in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) presents a webinar introducing the SEAI’s new Electric Vehicle Apartment Charger Grant Scheme.

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

The one-hour webinar will take place at 12.30pm on Thursday 22 September 2022.

Registration is free of charge and is via this Zoom link-

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EH9VLksBQiCGjb1zYQSCLw

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 to the processing of your personal data (name and email address) by the Housing Agency and SEAI for the purposes of event management.

The Housing Agency Housing Insight Series aims to disseminate good practice in housing and innovative solutions among housing practitioners in Ireland. Issues are published quarterly and 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. This second issue of the Housing Insights Series was published in September 2022 on the topic of Developing a Tenant Engagement Culture and Structure: The Case of Circle VHA.

This Housing Agency Policy Insights Paper describes how Circle VHA has collaborated with tenants to build a tenant engagement culture and structure. It demonstrates the benefits that can be gained – both for tenants and social housing providers – from a structural approach that embeds tenant engagement policy and practice within an organisation’s strategic vision. With the publication in 2022 by the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) of new standards requiring AHBs to actively seek input from tenants and provide opportunities for engagement on service provision, the aim of this case study is to provide information to other social housing providers developing tenant engagement structures.

You can access and read the full report here

The Housing Agency’s Research Summer Seminar Series showcases new and interesting research on housing in Ireland conducted, or supported by, The Housing Agency. The series brings together a variety of academics, practitioners, and public servants. The series will be of interest to housing practitioners, academics, legislators, policy makers, academics, and all those working in the housing, local government, justice and equality sectors.

Session 2 focused on issues facing Local Authorities, and featured presentations on void management and tenant engagement. The first presentation was delivered by Jon Slade, Director at Campbell Tickell, and was entitled Empty Homes Performance - Can we do better. The second presentation was by Prof. Padraic Kenna of NUI Galway, and his presentation was entitled Tenant participation or tenant collaboration? Which way for Irish LA tenants.

You can re-watch this webinar on our youtube channel. 

Jon Slade is a Director for Campbell Tickell, one of the UK’s leading consultancies working on social housing issues. Jon leads on asset and housing management for CT and has been working on issues pertinent to empty homes performance for over 20 years.

Prof. Padraic Kenna lectures on housing law and housing rights, property and land law at NUI Galway, and has published some six books and over 50 journal articles on these topics. Previously, he  worked in housing as a practitioner at both local authority and housing association level in the UK and Ireland. Padraic is the Director of the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy, engaging in housing law, rights and policy research at national and European level, publishing reports on key housing issues.

The first session of the Research Summer Series was on the topic of renting in Ireland and took place on the 9th of June. It focused on the private rented sector and featured insights from Dr. Richard Waldron, of Queen’s University Belfast, who discussed housing precarity and “generation rent" and Anne Murphy, Research Analyst at the Housing Agency, who looked at The Housing Agency’s national study of Irish housing experiences, focusing on the difference between renters and homeowners. You can watch the event back on our YouTube channel.