The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD announced recently that close to 12,000 new social homes were delivered in 2023, a 16% increase on 2022.
Minister O’Brien also reported that over 4,000 affordable homes were delivered last year, more than double the previous year’s total.
The announcement came as the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage published its social and affordable housing delivery statistics for Quarter 4 2023 showing “strong delivery” for social housing in the final quarter of last year.
In 2023, 11,939 new social homes were delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, including 8,110 new-build homes, 1,830 acquisitions and 1,999 homes through leasing programmes.
This is an increase of 16.33% on 2022 when 10,263 social homes were delivered.
Welcoming these figures, Minister O’Brien said: “It is clear that the momentum we could see building last year has continued and intensified. In 2022, we were able to hail the best social housing provision since the ‘70s and in 2023 we performed even better with a 16% increase in the number of homes delivered”.
Also in 2023, over 4,000 affordable housing options were delivered in respect of both affordable purchase and cost rental homes via Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency (LDA), the First Home Scheme and through the new Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.
