40% of new social housing in Ireland will be provided by NGOs

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Allison Gilliland, explained that providing for sustainable communities is the backbone of any city

On Wednesday, Co-operative Housing Ireland opened 32 new social housing units in Dublin. The move is part of Ireland’s Housing for All plan aiming to provide 300,000 new homes in the country by 2030. The ceremony was attended by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Allison Gilliland, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien.

Minister O’Brien explained that non-governmental organisations like Co-operative Housing Ireland will play an important role in achieving social housing targets. This year they will provide more than 40% of the country’s new developments in the area.

The new development caters to people with diverse housing needs, like people with disabilities, people who have experienced homelessness, as well as big households and smaller households. This is because it is equipped with both larger and smaller units and, according to Minister O’Brien, this is paramount to building a strong heterogeneous community.

St Canice, as the new complex is called, consists of 16 two-bedroom homes and 16 one-bedroom homes, with terraces, balconies and roof terraces. 

Delivering on the promises of ‘Housing for All’

According to a press release, Lord Mayor Gilliland emphasised the role of Approved Housing Bodies as the backbone of the ‘Housing for All’ plan. She also said that was crucial as the solution to current housing needs.

Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) are non-profit organisations that cater to social housing needs in the country. Co-operative Housing Ireland, in its own right, is one of the biggest AHBs and they manage around 2,400 homes through their cooperative model.

Housing Minister O’Brien also acknowledged the importance of AHBs as he explained that they provide secure and affordable homes for tenants and can help towards building sustainable and mixed communities, vital for any city. These organisations will deliver on 43% of the 9,000 social homes and around half of the 1,580 low-cost rental units due to be built this year.