Funding of almost €42 million has been allocated provide infrastructure, including sewage systems, bridges and roads, so that affordable housing can be built on local authority lands.
The vast majority of the money will be spent on projects in Dublin, with just under 20 per cent – or €7.8 million – going to open up lands in Cork for housing development.
A total of 10 sites have been selected for funding, three each in Dublin city, Fingal and Cork, and one site in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. It is expected the sites will accommodate a total of 1,410 affordable homes for sale or rent, and a potential 782 social homes.
The largest pot of cash will be spent in Dublin city to make three key sites viable.
Lands in Cherry Orchard will benefit from €7.6 million in funding for electricity, sewage and road works to facilitate the construction of 183 affordable homes. Two sites in Ballymun have been allocated about €4 million each, to facilitate the construction of a total of 157 affordable homes.
The largest single allocation is for a site in Fingal at Mulhuddart, where €11 million will be spent on roads to make land viable for 753 affordable homes and 502 social homes.
Roads and bridges
Also in Fingal, €2.2 million will be spent in Skerries, largely on roads and bridges, to allow 49 affordable homes and the same number of social houses, and €1.5 million will be spent on utilities in Lusk for 74 affordable and 25 social homes.
The Dún Laoghaire site will benefit from €4.5 million for roads and utilities, including the development of a heating system to serve 105 social and 50 affordable homes.
In Cork, almost €5 million will be spent on a site at the Boherboy Road for 103 affordable and 44 social homes; €1.5 million will go towards funding a cycleway, sewage, bridge and road works for 20 affordable and 57 social homes in Glanmire; and €1.4 million will be spent on water and road works for 21 affordable homes in Churchfield.
The €43 million is the first tranche of a €310 million “serviced sites fund” due to be doled out by 2021. To be eligible for affordable housing, single applicants must earn less than €50,000, and couples less than €75,000.
