Laois tops national table for rate of social housing delivery
Double target acheived in Laois Council area but shortfall in direct-build social homes
Laois has topped a new national housing delivery table which reveals the target for social housing was surpassed by double the amount set for the county in the past three years.
However, while Laois County Council facilitated much of this building, it delivered just two in ten properties via the traditional 'own-build' approach to providing local authority homes.
The findings are contained in new tables published by Minister for Housing James Browne that provide details on local authority social housing delivery and target statistics from 2022 to 2024.
His Department said the level of data published on July 1 provides a detailed breakdown of new build social housing delivery at the local level over the last three years. The data includes each local authority’s total new-build delivery (via all delivery partners) against overall social housing new-build targets.
A statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live explained that the data also provides details of each local authority’s progress in providing their own new build social homes against overall social housing new-build targets.
While the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage publishes statistics each quarter for social housing delivery, the publications have not included the corresponding targets for each local authority.
The tables show that the Laois local authority area topped the table with a completion rate of 187% ahead of targets set. A total of 670 homes were delivered via different approaches over the three years measured. The target was 359.
The county was ahead of target in all three years examined, with 2023 seeing most come on stream.
- 2022: 200 target 229 delivered.
- 2023: 79 target 286 delivered
- 2024: 80 target 155 delivered
Approved housing bodies have been the busiest at providing social housing in Laois. A total of 395 such homes came on stream over three years. Laois County Council has collaborated with housing bodies on the delivery of such homes.
Part V homes are houses or apartments built privately in new housing developments that have to be set aside for people waiting for council housing. A total of 100 such homes have come into the housing stock since 2022 in Laois.
Directly built homes for Laois County Council, delivered 79 homes since 2022, while 99 turnkey local authority homes were delivered.
The €27 m Convent social housing redevelopment in Portlaoise is being delivred by an approved housing body in partnership with Laois County Council which invested heavily to get the project off the ground.
Meath and Wicklow make up the top three in the league table for rate of delivery, while Donegal is bottom of the table with a delivery rate of 46%.
The table shows that 17 local authority areas failed to reach the target for social housing in three years. Nationally, 27,400 were supposed to have come on stream between 2022 and 2024. This target was missed, with a total of 23,414 social homes provided - an 85% delivery rate.
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The own-build local authority table shows that Leitrim had the best record and Kildare the worst. Laois ranks mid-table in this delivery league.
Minister Browne commented on publishing the league tables
“In order to ensure transparency and accountability with the public, the Department will begin publishing the new-build social housing delivery achieved by all local authorities as set against their targets. This will highlight the success stories in those local authorities which are making positive contributions to meeting the housing challenge, while also identifying local authorities that may need a stronger focus in this area,” he said.
The published data can be accessed here.