News

• Strategy clearly sets out Government’s vision for the delivery of housing and related support services for disabled people over the next five years
• New strategy places a greater emphasis on facilitating independent living and being included in the community

Friday 14 January 2021

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD; the Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD; and Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte TD, today (Friday 14 January 2022) launched the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 - 2027. The Strategy sets out the Government’s vision for delivering housing and related supports for disabled people and has been developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It replaces the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 – 2016 (extended to 2021).

The new strategy places a greater emphasis on independent living and community inclusion than the previous strategy. Implementation of the plan will be based on the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Government has revised the structures that oversee and implement the strategy to make the delivery of housing and related supports for disabled people more effective and appropriate to their needs.

Developed under the guiding principles of Housing for All, the Government’s national plan for housing to 2030, the strategy seeks to facilitate disabled people to live independently with the appropriate choices and control over where, how and with whom they live. The Strategy places an emphasis on disabled people having choice and control over their living arrangements. It demonstrates the Government’s commitment to providing equal access to housing for all.

Providing more equal access to housing for disabled people with integrated support services promotes their inclusion in the community, fulfilling a key Housing for All commitment. A key element is a focus on co-ordinating provision of housing for disabled people with the social supports provided through HSE-funded disability services. The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 is the result of a comprehensive 8-month, two phase consultation process and is laid out across six themes, each detailing desired outcomes to deliver the overall vision set out in the plan:

• Accessible Housing and Communities
• Interagency Collaboration and the Provision of Supports
• Communication and Access to Information
• Knowledge, Capacity, and Expertise
• Strategy Alignment

Work has now begun on the very important Implementation Plan for the Strategy. The Housing Agency will oversee this work. The Implementation Plan will be published by the end of quarter 2, 2022 detailing how outcomes will be achieved.

Commenting, Minister O’Brien said:

“This new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 sets out our joint vision for the delivery of housing and support services for the next five years. The overall aim of the overarching Housing for All plan is that everyone in the State should have access to a home to purchase or rent at an affordable price, built to a high standard and in the right place, offering a high quality of life. This strategy underlines the Government’s vision.

“Importantly, Housing and Disability Steering Groups’ will continue to have a key role as the forum for delivery of the strategy’s outcomes at local level. These Steering Groups have been established in each local authority area and this Strategy maps out the pathway for them to refresh and renew their role and focus with disabled people at the centre. I have no doubt this will lead to a more integrated and strategic response to the needs of people with a disability at local level.”
“I look forward to working collaboratively with my Government colleagues and delivery partners across the sector in making the vision of this Strategy a reality.”

Also commenting on the Strategy, Minister Burke stated:

“The preparation of this new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 has been led by the lived experience of people with a disability and those supporting them. Drawing on the knowledge and insight of individuals who experience disability, their representative groups and those who work to provide services, the strategy contains a vision to bring about practical and lasting change. I hope that this change will make a compelling difference to housing and accommodation provision for people with a disability across our country.

“I want to acknowledge the key role that local authorities have played. As housing authorities, their role is pivotal in ensuring that the Strategy is implemented at local level where it matters most for the citizen.

“Our goal is for Ireland to be a better place for disabled people to live in, to access the right kind of housing or accommodation, a place where those with a disability have choices and play a central role in relation to matters and decisions that affect their lives. It should be a country where every disabled person is supported to live independently, participate fully in our society, and enjoy a quality of life on a par with the rest of the population. This Strategy sets our course for housing to play its part in achieving that.”

Welcoming the Strategy, Minister Rabbitte said:

“I warmly welcome the publication of the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027. This Government’s philosophy is ‘Housing for All’, which means that our housing provision must be inclusive of people with disabilities. I am particularly pleased to see the important emphasis on Universal Design in this Strategy.

“I am delighted that this Strategy has very much been informed by the input of disabled people who took part in the public consultation process, and I want to thank the Housing Agency for facilitating their involvement.

“A central tenet of this Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities is to coordinate and align housing provision with the delivery of health and social care supports. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Government, and with the HSE to drive forward the practical implementation of this approach.

“The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a key framework for how we support disabled people in Ireland and is central to how government has approached this Strategy. I believe this Strategy helps progress our commitment under the UNCRPD to facilitate disabled people to live independently and as part of the community.”

The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 can be viewed on the Publications section of our website

View the Documents                            

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

• The Strategy is being launched by Ministers O’Brien, Burke and Rabbitte at a meeting with stakeholders, hosted by the Housing Agency, on Friday January 14th.
• For interview requests with the three Ministers and Disability stakeholders with lived experience please contact the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage press office for details.
• For technical briefing on Strategy with Department officials please contact the press office.
• The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 is being published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).
• The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 uses the term “disability” in reference to four categories of disability, i.e., sensory disability, mental health difficulties, physical disability and intellectual disability. Psychosocial disabilities are also included when referring to mental health difficulties as this is in line with the social model of language.
• During the first year of the new Strategy, the process of working to strengthen the existing information of the housing needs within each category will commence. This will allow for the proper strategic planning that is required to increase delivery of housing with related supports for disabled people. This will also be inclusive of disabled people that do not identify with one of the specific categories above, such as those with a dual diagnosis or Autism.

Overview of Themes

A comprehensive eight-month consultation period identified the areas that needed to be addressed to deliver the vision of the Strategy. These areas are set out as themes. Each theme has desired outcomes that, when delivered, will contribute to the overall vision.

Theme 1 – Accessible Housing and Communities

This theme focuses on the provision of accessible housing for disabled people, the promotion of accessible communities and universally designed homes. It is informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and, in particular, “Article 19 - Living independently and being included in the community” and “Article 9 – Accessibility” which aims “to enable disabled people to live independently …and ensure disabled people have access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment.”

Theme 2 – Interagency Collaboration and the Provision of Supports

This theme includes outcomes relating to the improvement of effective collaboration between local authorities and the HSE, better inter-departmental cooperation, aligning housing and support services and the sharing of relevant information between agencies. This theme seeks to build on the work that has already been done during the NHSPWD 2011 to 2016 (extended to 2021) by strengthening the existing structures and by improving collaboration between all relevant agencies.

Theme 3 – Affordability of Housing

This theme focuses on enabling access to affordable housing for disabled people. In keeping with Housing for All and, in particular, “Pathway 1 - Supporting Home Ownership and Increasing Affordability”, it is important that disabled people are included in the provision of affordable housing. This theme examines these issues and addresses the challenges disabled people may experience living in the private sector, in terms of home ownership and private renting.

Theme 4 – Communication and Access to Information

This theme focuses on communication and access to information. The Strategy will continue to build on the information accessibility achievements of the previous Strategy such as the Housing Options documents, the Easy-to-Read Guide to Completing the Social Housing Application Form and the Moving in Checklist. The Strategy is cognisant of the fact that communication is a two-way process. The Strategy will aim to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged in communicating their needs and in the communication they receive. This includes providing information in a range of accessible formats and using the various channels of communications disabled people prefer, while ensuring that adequate time and accessibility is made available to enable people to engage with local authorities and relevant agencies.

Theme 5 - Knowledge, Capacity, and Expertise

This theme puts forward measures to increase awareness and understanding of disability and housing within the relevant organisations 4. It also places an emphasis on increasing awareness regarding disabled people’s effective participation and inclusion in their communities. It includes outcomes relating to the building of knowledge and expertise within the housing sector on disability and building of knowledge and expertise within the health and social care sector on housing. It also acknowledges areas where cross-agency training is necessary, for example, the introduction and application of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.5

Theme 6 – Strategy Alignment

This theme places a focus on ensuring that all Government strategies and policies from a housing perspective promote the rights of disabled people, in line with the UNCRPD. This will ensure that the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 complements and supports other strategies related to disability, such as the ‘Sharing the Vision’ and the ‘Time to Move on From Congregated Settings Strategy’ for de-congregation, and the work, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to make progress on the need for housing with relevant supports identified in the Disability Capacity Review to 2032. This theme will also place a focus on aligning other strategies and policies, such as Housing for All, and the new Local Delivery Action Plans established under its framework, and the Public Sector Duty.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Press Office

Tel: (01) 888 2638 (direct)

Email: press@housing.gov.ie

Website: gov.ie/housing

Twitter: @DeptHousingIRL

The Housing Agency and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have issued a notification to stakeholders regarding the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Fund.

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Fund aims to activate the delivery of apartments in high-demand areas in our cities for sale to individual purchasers. The first step to achieving this is to ensure that apartment developments with planning permissions in place are built and occupied. The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Fund will provide funding to developers to help realise this vision.

The notice contains key dates and important criteria to note for potential applicants to the new scheme.

Key Dates:

• In late January 2022, the Housing Agency will be issuing a Call for Proposals to developers for suitable apartment developments.
• Suitable proposals will be required to start on site as soon as possible to deliver apartments for sale no later than 2025.

Criteria:

• The Agency will be seeking proposals in city areas in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford.
• Full grant of planning approval must be in place by 31st January 2022.
• Apartment blocks included in proposals must be at least 4 storeys high.
• Proposal can include entire schemes or portions / phases.
• Apartment blocks must not have started construction at the time of submission. If the apartment blocks form part of a larger scheme, the other portions of the scheme may have commenced or been completed.

More information will be posted on The Housing Agency’s and the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage’s social media and websites in early 2022.

Housing Europe, a Brussels-based think tank has published a report for the Housing Agency on cost rental case studies in Austria, Denmark and Finland. Each of these three countries has large-scale cost rental social housing schemes. This report outlines how rent setting and financing takes place in each of the three countries.

This report is intended to help inform the on-going development and upscaling of this new affordable housing option in Ireland, as well as provide a template for other countries or regions who may wish to develop their own cost-based social rental sector. The report highlights rents which can be achieved through cost rental. For example, the rent paid by a new social tenant in new cost rental housing in Denmark is 28% lower than in the private sector. In Helsinki in Finland rents in the private sector are 62% higher than cost rental rents (per square metre) and in Austria the rent in cost rental homes is 23% below the average in the private sector.

The report notes that in order for the cost rental model to have the intended effect of reducing rents and increasing affordability, it needs to be large-scale, properly planned and long-term.

Social housing in Ireland was traditionally offered as an "income-based" approach to rent setting. However, the Irish Government has introduced cost rental, a new form of tenure into Ireland. It has committed to delivering 2,000 new cost rental homes in Ireland each year with rents expected to be at least 25% below market level. The first development of this type was delivered in Taylor Hill in Balbriggan in July 2020.

To read the report in full please follow this link.

The Housing Agency in conjunction with Kerry County Council has won the ULI CBRE Munster Private / Private sector award for placemaking for the Tralee regeneration project.

In 2004, Tralee Town Council identified the Mitchels / Boherbee area of the town as being in need of major regeneration in order to deal with the underlying physical, economic and social problems that affected the area. This major ongoing transformative regeneration project defines a standard for best practice in regeneration and placemaking.

The regeneration project has delivered a suite of community, social and residential solutions, through new build, conservation and refurbishment, energy upgrades and public realm works, all of which have resulted in creating a safe, attractive, environment. Public realm improvements and the provision of allotments have enhanced community solidarity and engagement. A geodesic dome within the allotment area provides a focus for community activity.

The refurbishment of Moyderwell Convent as a Day Care Centre and apartments for older people and the accompanying sheltered housing complex of 56 apartments has ensured a long-term sustainable use of this historic protected structure, has placed older people at the heart of the community and significantly enhanced the public realm.

One of the older residents, when interviewed, noted - “the design is brilliant, it has a continental feel. The restoration work is excellent…having good benches and a garden to walk in is important.”

The replacement of the existing convent walls with railings has opened up the convent and its gardens to the wider community. The development of Áras an Phobal, the Integrated Services Building, provides a community and service resource for the wider population and has helped in transforming the image of the area.

Social and voluntary housing projects, including the provision Traveller accommodation, and associated public realm works including a children’s playground, are delivering high-quality residential solutions that help to bring the community together, in an urban environment. Energy upgrades and a sustainable wood chip district heating system have significantly impacted on fuel poverty and environmental sustainability in the area.

Press Statement

The Housing Agency to support the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.

Tuesday, 30th November: The Housing Agency will play a central role in assisting homeowners and local authorities as part of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme announced by Minister Darragh O’Brien today.

As part of the measures introduced to improve the delivery of the scheme, and once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing Agency will assist homeowners by employing engineers to undertake the testing and assessment of their homes. This will ease the financial burden for homeowners in accessing the scheme. The Housing Agency will also be supporting local authorities in their assessment and processing of applications under the scheme.

The involvement of the Housing Agency will ensure the most appropriate remediation option is recommended for each home. The Agency’s role should also help to improve the current lead-in time on the approval of grants and ultimately speed up the remediation of affected homes.

Bob Jordan, Chief Executive Officer of The Housing Agency, said:

“The Housing Agency is committed to supporting people living in homes affected by defective concrete blocks by making it as easy as possible for homeowners to access the scheme. Our involvement in the assessment and testing of homes will ensure a simplified, efficient, and cost-effective process for both homeowners and local authorities.”

The Housing Agency has built up technical expertise and knowledge through its work in implementing the Pyrite Remediation Scheme since 2014. The Housing Agency has also gained a strong understanding of the difficulties faced by homeowners by actively participating in the Working Group on the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.

For media queries contact Roslyn Molloy on mobile 086 0893157, communications@housingagency.ie

About The Housing Agency

The Housing Agency is a Government body working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and approved housing bodies in the delivery of housing and housing services.

Our mission is to promote the supply of housing to meet current and future needs and demand by being a centre of expert knowledge on housing, supporting housing policy development and implementing effective housing programmes in collaboration with key stakeholders.

For more information visit www.housingagency.ie or follow The Housing Agency on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Housing Agency is delighted to announce the winner of the 2021 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:

Sarah Kennedy, for her essay ‘The Housed Homeless: The Role of Housing Policy in Supporting Victims of Intimate Partner Violence’.

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

Sharon Carroll, for her essay ‘Building Better Homes: A Circular Economy Approach’

and

Justin Mark Anderson, for his essay ‘Has HAP led to a different type of person benefitting from social housing support that would normally avail of more traditional forms of support?’.

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.

The Government’s new housing strategy commits to increasing the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 homes per year over the next decade and providing for an optimal mix of social, affordable, and private housing for sale and rent.

Housing for All: A New Housing Plan for Ireland will be the focus of The Housing Agency's Housing Conference 2021, which will take place online from Monday 8 to Friday 12 November.

Through daily webinars, Housing Conference 2021 will provide an overview of the aims and objectives of Housing for All while facilitating in-depth discussion on each of the four pathways set out in the plan.

Participation in each webinar is free, but advance registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Download the Housing Conference 2021 Agenda

To register for each webinar please click one of the links below:

All times above are Irish Standard Time

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

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 currently has a number of housing research and education support opportunities.

Research Support Programme

The call for applications for the 2022 Research Support Programme is now open. Deadline for applications is 5pm Friday 23rd September 2022. Please make sure to read all of the documents below before submitting an application.

If you would like to receive updates about the Research Support Programme and details about the call for applications please email researchsupport@housingagency.ie

Application Form 2022

Call for Proposals 2022

Guidance Document 2022

Ethical Framework

Housing Education Bursary Scheme

The Housing Agency is pleased to support education opportunities for Irish housing professionals through The Housing Agency Education Bursary Scheme. Since 2018, the bursary scheme has allowed over 130 students to undertake housing studies education courses offered by the Institute of Public Administration and the Irish Council for Social Housing/ Chartered Institute of Housing. The courses available for bursary funding are:

• IPA NFQ Level 6 (Special Purpose Award) Certificate in Housing Studies
• IPA NFQ Level 8 (Special Purpose Award) Professional Diploma in Housing Studies
• ICSH/CIH Level 4 Certificate in Housing

The bursaries provide a contribution towards course fees, and are intended to support those who would otherwise be unable to secure funding for the full course fees from their organization or other sources.

Applications are currently being sought for Round 2 of the 2021/2022 Bursary Scheme competition. Under Round 1 of the competition (closing date 27 August 2021), 31 bursary offers were made to students applying to undertake housing studies courses at the IPA. Round 2 of the Scheme will support students seeking to enroll in the ICSH/CIH Level 4 Certificate in Housing. The closing date for Round 2 is 5pm on 11 October 2021. Further details, including the application form, can be found at this link. 

How to apply

The bursary awards are intended to support those who would otherwise be unable to secure funding for the full course fees from their organisation or other sources. 

Applicants can apply by downloading and completing the Bursary Application Form, and returning it as a PDF to training@housingagency.ie by the closing date outlined above.

Please note that applicants are required to make separate applications for both course attendance and this bursary scheme if they wish to avail of the bursary.

Essay Prize

The Housing Agency is committed to supporting housing education and research in Ireland. This includes an annual Essay Prize, awarded to the most original student essay submitted as part assessment for the IPA Level 8 Professional Diploma in Housing Studies. Applications for the 2021 Essay Prize are currently being reviewed, and the winner will be announced on The Housing Agency’s website in the coming weeks.