Reaction to Budget 2021

€773m FOR SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BUDGET 2021

Clúid Housing welcomes the Government’s commitment to an additional €773m in expenditure on social and affordable housing, as announced today in Budget 2021. Significant investment in housing is vital in ensuring that the continuing housing shortage is resolved and that the construction sector maintains capacity in this economically challenging period. The emphasis on a sustained, large-scale housing delivery programme in the Budget announcement, with a particular focus on direct build homes, is also very encouraging. While vacant homes must be brought back into use, the delivery of new housing stock is essential in ensuring that supply meets growing demand.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Clúid Policy Adviser, Fiona Dunkin said “We also welcome the inclusion of funding for a new cost rental scheme, to be delivered on both public and private lands. While a number of cost rental pilots are already in development, a Government commitment to ringfence €110m for cost rental and affordable purchase housing is positive news for those struggling to afford market rents but ineligible for social housing. For many years, Clúid, alongside our Housing Alliance partners, has called for an affordable cost rental model. Clúid looks forward to the details of this long-awaited scheme and to delivering affordable cost rental homes to households across the country.”

Clúid is committed to a greener, more sustainable future. With buildings accounting for around 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU, the Government’s announcement of €65m in expenditure to support deep retrofitting of social housing stock is a step in the right direction. This retrofitting fund will support the housing sector to play its part in delivering Ireland’s climate action targets. Dunkin added “We look forward to working with the Government to meet a shared BER target of B2 for all homes by 2030.”

As a leading AHB with a strategic commitment to delivering 3000 new homes before the end of 2022, Clúid looks forward to working alongside local authorities, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the HFA, developers and other key stakeholders in delivering much-needed social and affordable homes across Ireland.